SCOTLAND

Departmental Advertising

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on placing advertisements in newspapers in Scotland in each year since 2005.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has spent the following on placing advertisements in newspapers in Scotland in each year since 2005:
	
		
			  Expenditure (£) 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 17,510 
			 2007-08 0 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 0 
			 2010-11 7,357

Departmental Billing

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of invoices from small and medium-sized businesses were paid by his Department within five working days of receipt in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office endeavours to pay all suppliers within five days and does not differentiate between small, medium-sized or large businesses. Between 1 June 2010 and 31 May 2011 the Scotland Office paid 99.1% of invoices within five days.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost to his Department was of the provision of ministerial cars in each financial year between 2000-01 and 2010-11; how many (a) cars for the exclusive use of Ministers and (b) ministerial car journeys were paid for by his Department in each such year; what the average cost to his Department of a ministerial car journey was in each such year; and what steps his Department has taken to reduce the cost of ministerial cars since his appointment.

David Mundell: Information relating to the cost and number of ministerial cars is published in an annual written ministerial statement, details of which can be found within the Libraries of both Houses. Details of the costs for 2010-11 are currently being compiled and are due for release in July 2011. Information prior to 2005 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Links to the details for the available years are shown as follows:
	2005- 06
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0004.htm
	2006-07
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0004.htm
	2007-08
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080722/wmstext/80722m0008.htm
	2008-09
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090716/wmstext/90716m0009.htm
	2009-10
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/hammond20101028a
	As of January 2011, the Scotland Office no longer has a contract with the Government Car Service.
	Information relating to individual ministerial car journeys prior to September 2010 is not available as there was no requirement to collect these data. Information relating to the number of ministerial car journeys made since the introduction of the 'on-demand' Ministerial Car Service on 6 September 2010 and up until 31 March 2011 is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of journeys 
			 2010  
			 September 3 
			 October 6 
			 November 6 
			 December 14 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0 
			 February 1 
			 March 2

Drugs

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers on (a) cocaine and (b) other drug usage in Scotland.

Michael Moore: Responsibility for drugs health, education and enforcement has been devolved to the Scottish Government.

Mortgages

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of banks operating in Scotland to discuss (a) domestic mortgage lending and (b) lending to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Michael Moore: I meet regularly representatives of the Scottish financial sector, including banks operating in Scotland, to discuss issues of importance to the Scottish and wider UK economy. Those issues include mortgage lending and lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, which are vital to creating an environment in which Scottish businesses and families can prosper.
	My most recent engagements with representatives of banks operating in Scotland were last week. I have further relevant engagements planned for this month.

Scottish Power

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of Scottish Power; and what matters were discussed.

Michael Moore: I meet frequently Scottish Power as well as other utility companies. I last met Scottish Power on 18 May 2011 at which we discussed a range of issues. There has also been recent and ongoing contact with officials regarding news on pricing, electricity market reform and other issues.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: International Co-operation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures were agreed at the G20 agriculture summit on 22 June 2011 on (a) investment in research and innovation in agriculture and (b) steps to tackle rising global food prices.

James Paice: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement laid before the House by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the recent meeting of G20 Agriculture Ministers.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Rural Payments Agency has paid out under each level of the single payment scheme in each year since 2005.

James Paice: holding answer 29 July 2011
	The amounts paid out by the Rural Payments Agency in respect of the single payment scheme for England since 2005 are as shown. There are no levels of the scheme.
	
		
			 Single payment scheme year £ billion 
			 2005 1.60 
			 2006 1.55 
			 2007 1.49 
			 2008 1.66 
			 2009 1.90 
		
	
	The payment window for 2010 closes on 30 June. The amount paid out by 17 June was £1.71 billion.

Animal Welfare

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has any plans to bring forward proposals to increase the sentencing powers provided for in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

James Paice: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 was reviewed in 2010 and the findings of the review were presented to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee. Officials worked closely with a wide range of groups involved with animal welfare and the need to increase sentencing powers was not identified as a matter that required attention. A copy of the review can be found on:
	http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/welfare/act/documents/aw-act-2006-memo-101220.pdf

Cats: Electric Shock Equipment

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the use of electronic collars on domestic cats; and whether she has plans to commission any further such research;
	(2)  what her policy is on prohibiting the use of electronic collars on domestic cats.

James Paice: No specific research has been carried out, or is proposed, on the use of electronic collars for cats.
	We are currently reviewing the recently completed research on the use of electronic collars for dogs. No decisions on the use of such devices will be made until we have completed the peer review of the research.

Environment

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has assessed the merits of including the Teme Valley, Worcestershire, in the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Richard Benyon: It is ordinarily for Natural England to propose boundary changes to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and it has not assessed the suitability of the Teme Valley, Worcestershire as a possible extension of the Malvern Hills AONB.
	Natural England is currently developing a strategy to guide future work on landscape and biodiversity designations. Until this is in place it will not be undertaking further work on new designations or boundary variations beyond its current project affecting the boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.

Farming: Private Sector

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to enter partnerships with (a) the UK Food Chain Alliance and (b) other private sector-led groups to deliver its policies on farming.

James Paice: DEFRA is committed to working with farmers and food chain businesses to ensure we deliver our aim of supporting British farming and sustainable food production. Officials have met the UK Food Chain Alliance on its discussion paper “Working together to safeguard and enhance UK farming” and we are following its progress with interest.
	Many parts of our food and farming industries are showing leadership in delivering a sustainable future, and the Government are supporting these efforts through, for example, the delivery of product roadmaps by our livestock sectors, and the important work of the industry to meet emission reduction targets in its Greenhouse Gas Action Plan.

Fisheries: Safety

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has had discussions with (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Ministry of Defence on potential implications for safety of the home fishing fleet of reductions in expenditure on the Royal Navy; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: I have had discussions with the Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), about the future provision of surface surveillance for fisheries protection purposes, which is currently provided by the Royal Navy.
	As I told him, responsibility for surface and aerial surveillance rests not with DEFRA but with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), a non-departmental public body. I understand that the MMO is currently considering the level and composition of surface surveillance services it requires beyond 2013. In order to ensure the MMO delivers its remit at the best possible value for money to the public purse, it expects to begin a procurement exercise later this year.
	Whatever decision the MMO takes, I am confident that this will not have any implications for the safety of the home fishing fleet.

Fishing Catches

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on overfishing (a) in European waters and (b) globally.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 30 June 2011
	Whether in EU waters, or elsewhere in the world, overfishing should not occur. Fisheries should be properly managed on a sustainable basis. Regrettably overfishing has occurred in the past and it is something we wish to avoid in the future. As a result, the UK will argue that a reformed common fisheries policy must be better suited to ensure the rational exploitation of fisheries resources and that sustainability is paramount in the future.

Food: Exports

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the amount of food exported in each of the last 10 years.

James Paice: holding answer given 28 June 2011
	The following table shows the value and volume of total food, feed and drink exported from the UK as recorded in the Official Overseas Trade Statistics for the period 2001-10.
	
		
			 UK exports of food, feed and drink, 2001-10 
			  £ billion  (1) Million tonnes 
			 2001 11.0 9.7 
		
	
	
		
			 2002 11.3 10.8 
			 2003 12.2 14.0 
			 2004 11.6 12.0 
			 2005 11.6 12.6 
			 2006 11.9 12.4 
			 2007 12.3 11.9 
			 2008 13.8 12.8 
			 2009 14.7 12.8 
			 2010 15.8 14.5 
			 (1)  ( )At 2010 prices.  Note:  2010 data are subject to amendments.  Source:  H M Revenue and Customs Data prepared by Trade Statistics, Economics and Statistics Programme, DEFRA.

Food: Imports

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the amount of food imported in each of the last 10 years.

James Paice: holding answer given 28 June 2011
	The following table shows the value and volume of total food, feed and drink imported into the UK as recorded in the Official Overseas Trade Statistics for the period 2001-10.
	
		
			 UK imports of food, feed and drink, 2001-10 
			  £ billion  (1) Million tonnes 
			 2001 23.6 30.1 
			 2002 24.2 30.2 
			 2003 25.8 32.2 
			 2004 26.3 32.9 
			 2005 27.3 33.6 
			 2006 28.0 34.1 
			 2007 28.9 34.6 
			 2008 32.9 35.2 
			 2009 34.0 33.6 
			 2010 33.7 34.1 
			 (1) At 2010 prices.  Note:  2010 data are subject to amendments  Source:  H M Revenue and Customs Data prepared by Trade Statistics, Economics and Statistics Programme, DEFRA.

Hill Farming

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what land area in square miles (a) previously attracted claims under hill farm allowance and (b) is now eligible for uplands entry level stewardship or uplands transitional payment.

James Paice: Claims for Hill Farm Allowance 2010 covered 4,250 square miles. Land in the Severely Disadvantaged Areas is eligible for Uplands Entry Level Stewardship or Uplands Transitional Payment and covers 5,020 square miles.

Hill Farming

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers have received payments under the uplands entry level stewardship scheme in each month since its inception.

James Paice: holding answer 28 June 2011
	The first agreements for Uplands Entry Level Stewardship commenced on 1 July 2010. During the first year of the scheme, payments are being made six monthly in arrears, as set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Payment date (2011) Payments made 
			 January 1,231 
			 February 406 
			 March 385 
			 April 307 
			 May 264 
			 June 227 
			 Total 2,820 
		
	
	From 1 July 2011, the six-monthly payments will move to an autumn/spring payment cycle. The size of the payment and the total amount farmers are due to receive during the life of their agreements will however be unaffected.

Nature Conservation: EU Action

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the effects on the environment of the operation of EU agri-environment funds aiming to maintain populations of declining species.

James Paice: The Government believe that agri-environment schemes play a vital role in maintaining farmland biodiversity. Environmental Stewardship (ES) is the major agri-environment scheme operating in England and is supported by a £1.4 million/year monitoring and evaluation programme and a £2.1 million/year research programme.
	Both these programmes make contributions to the growing evidence base relating to biodiversity and include projects that look at the impact of ES across a range of species, assess the success of ES habitat management and examine alternative management techniques with a view to improving the environmental delivery of the scheme.

Nature Conservation: EU Action

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on the future operation of EU agri-environment funds aiming to maintain populations of declining species.

James Paice: The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy provides a crucial opportunity to refocus spend towards agri-environment schemes, such as Environmental Stewardship, where the role of agri-environment schemes in preserving biodiversity is recognised.

Nutrient Run-off

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on nutrient run-off; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 30 June 2011
	Nutrient run-off, whether from agricultural or other sources, represents a serious risk to the health of our waters and the oceans.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that farmers have access to the best available advice on good nutrient management. This will make sure that nutrients—from both mineral and organic fertilisers—are managed in a way that optimises their uptake by crops, and minimises their loss to the environment. The trend over the last 14 years shows an overall reduction in the amount of mineral nitrogen and phosphorus applied to land. However, the standard of nutrient management in the UK needs to continue to improve if farming is to become more competitive and profitable, and produce more food in a way that protects the environment and biodiversity and uses natural resources sustainably.
	We are acting to implement the requirements under EU and UK laws to achieve good ecological status in our waters, and ensure that the UK's drinking water supply is of a consistently high quality. We are constantly reviewing policy on this area; nutrient runoff was identified as an issue in the Natural Environment White Paper, published on 7 June. We committed to
	“develop a strategy to identify and address the most significant diffuse sources of water pollution from non-agricultural sources.”
	As I announced on 23 March, the Government intend to use a new catchment-based approach to implementing the River Basin Management Plans that are required under the water framework directive. The Environment Agency has established 10 pilot test catchments to validate this approach. Measures to help control nutrient runoff from farms are included in the £110 million funding announced on 13 April. This includes some capital grants for farmers in certain areas under the Catchment Sensitive Farming project.

Water Charges

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on changes in the level of annual water charges in each region in each year since 1989.

Richard Benyon: Information on the water companies' charges since 1989 is not held by DEFRA; it is available from Ofwat.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what assessment the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made of the effectiveness of its schemes in restoring public confidence and trust in (a) hon. Members first elected in May 2010, (b) other hon. Members and (c) Parliament.

Charles Walker: It has not been possible to provide a response to this question by the named day. An answer will be provided as soon as possible.
	Substantive answer from Charles Walker to Adam Afriyie:
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated June 2011
	As acting Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made of the effectiveness of its schemes in restoring public confidence and trust in (a) hon. Members first elected in May 2010, (b) other hon. Members and (c) Parliament.
	We haven’t made an assessment broken down in this way. We commissioned a survey of 2,599 adults from YouGov in November 2010, the results of which suggested that 59% agreed that IPSA will make sure MPs are paid only for legitimate expenses, compared to 13% who did not. 16% neither agreed nor disagreed and a further 12% stated that they did not know.

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made an assessment of the extent to which hon. Members are funding their parliamentary duties from personal resources.

Charles Walker: It has not been possible to provide a response to this question by the named day. An answer will be provided as soon as possible.
	Substantive answer from Charles Walker to Adam Afriyie:
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Scott Woolveridge, dated June 2011
	As acting Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question whether IPSA has made an assessment of the extent to which MPs are funding parliamentary duties from their personal resources.
	IPSA has not made such an assessment. We would expect MPs to claim for expenses incurred whilst carrying out their Parliamentary functions whilst they have sufficient budget to do so. Where MPs necessarily incurs liability for expenditure for their parliamentary functions which cannot be met from an existing budget, they may apply for contingency funding.

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what proportion of the savings to the public purse achieved by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in its first 10 months of operation is attributable to (a) resettlement grants, (b) parliamentary pensions, (c) winding-up allowances and (d) other exceptional payments made to retiring hon. Members in the final year of the previous House of Commons scheme.

Charles Walker: It has not been possible to provide a response to this question by the named day. An answer will be provided as soon as possible.
	Substantive answer from Charles Walker to Adam Afriyie:
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated June 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the savings to the public purse achieved by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in its first 10 months of operation is attributable to (a) resettlement grants, (b) parliamentary pensions, (c) winding-up allowances and (d) other exceptional payments made to retiring hon. Members in the final year of the previous House of Commons scheme.
	We estimate that a total of £58,000 may be attributable to the items referred to, but note the following details:
	a) IPSA does not pay resettlement grants and the Members' Expenses accounts for 2009-10 confirm that the House did not pay any such grants either.
	b) MPs' pay and pensions were not included in the calculation of any savings.
	c) The Members' Expenses accounts paid £134,000 for winding up expenses in 2009-10. In 2010-11, IPSA has paid a total of £76,000 for winding up expenses, a difference of £58,000.

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what estimate the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made of the likely savings to the public purse it will achieve in respect of the salaries, staffing and expenses budgets of hon. Members in 2011-12 compared to 2010-11

Charles Walker: It has not been possible to provide a response to this question by the named day. An answer will be provided as soon as possible.
	Substantive answer from Charles Walker to Adam Afriyie:
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald,  dated  June 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made of the likely level of savings to the public purse it will achieve in respect of hon. Members salaries, staffing and expenses budgets in 2011-12 compared to 2010-11.
	We have made no such estimate. We hold the view that the current MPs' expenses scheme has been running for too short a time for us accurately to predict expenditure in 2011-12. We therefore submitted our Estimate on the basis that Members will claim their full budgets. Our Estimate for 2011-12 was recently approved by the Speaker's Committee for the IPSA, although the Committee put £16.572m of the Estimate in reserve in anticipation that demand will fall short of the full budgetary provision available.

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made an assessment of the effects of its schemes on the mental health and well-being of hon. Members.

Charles Walker: It has not been possible to provide a response to this question by the named day. An answer will be provided as soon as possible.
	Substantive answer from Charles Walker to Adam Afriyie:
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Scott Woolveridge, dated June 2011
	As acting Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question whether IPSA has made an assessment of the effect of its Schemes on the mental health and wellbeing of MPs.
	IPSA has not made such an assessment.

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what assessment the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has made of the effects on public confidence in Parliament of the bi-monthly frequency of its publication of claims; and which other publication schedules were considered by IPSA when formulating its schemes.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated June 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has made of the effects of the bi-monthly frequency of its publication of claims on public confidence in Parliament; and which other publication schedules were considered by IPSA when formulating its schemes.
	We have to date made no assessment of the effects of the bi-monthly frequency of its publication of claims on public confidence in Parliament.
	We have considered both more frequent (monthly and rolling) publication and less frequent (quarterly, four and six-monthly) publication. More frequent publication would prove to be considerably more costly, whereas we believed that less frequent publication would not be in the interest of either the public or of MPs.
	We have also considered routinely publishing images of invoices and receipts submitted in support of expense claims, but ruled this out on costs grounds and on the grounds that with the majority of claims this documentation provides little additional information.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Council of Europe: Meetings

Oliver Heald: To ask the Attorney-General what meetings he had during his recent visit to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; and if he will make a statement on that visit.

Dominic Grieve: On Thursday 23 June I addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on the role of Parliaments as guarantors of human rights. I had meetings with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Thorbjorn Jagland and Deputy Secretary General, Ms Maud de Boer Buquicchio ahead of UK chairmanship commencing in November 2011. I also met the President of the Council of Europe, Mr Mevlut Cavusoglu.
	While visiting the European Court of Human Rights, I met the President of the Court, Mr Jean-Paul Costa, Sir Nicolas Bratza and senior members of the Registry.

Prosecutions

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of those prosecuted by Northamptonshire Crown Prosecution Service had previously been prosecuted for another imprisonable offence, including those who did not serve time in prison as a result, in each of the last three years.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Case Management System (CMS) does not collect information relating to the number of prosecutions where the defendant had previously been prosecuted for another imprisonable offence (whether or not they served a prison sentence). Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by a manual exercise at disproportionate cost.

Witnesses: Allowances

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Attorney-General if he will review the level of allowances paid by the Crown Prosecution Service to witnesses called by the Crown Prosecution Service to give evidence in court.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will be undertaking a review of the level of witness expenses and allowances in 2011. Any recommended amendments to the current levels would then be subject to approval by the Attorney-General.
	The payment of witness expenses and allowances to prosecution witnesses, where the CPS is the prosecuting authority, is governed by the Crown Prosecution Service (Witnesses' etc. Allowances) Regulations 1988.
	Witness attendance at court is a public duty but expenses and allowances are paid to facilitate witnesses' attendance by assisting with costs. The rates that are payable are designed to provide compensation to witnesses attending court but not necessarily full reimbursement of all the costs incurred. The aim is to strike a balance between providing a reasonable level of compensation to witnesses and ensuring that public money is spent appropriately.
	It is important that the allowances are set at a level that does not discourage the public from coming forward to give evidence and the rates are, therefore, subject to regular review. Nevertheless, limits on the amounts payable are necessary if the Government are to maintain control over public spending in order to direct resources to the areas of greatest need.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Schools: Visits

Gareth Johnson: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many schools in (a) Dartford constituency and (b) Kent were involved in visits to the Palace of Westminster arranged through the Parliamentary Education Service in each year since 2009.

John Thurso: The number of schools from (a) Dartford constituency and (b) Kent that have visited the Palace of Westminster through Parliament's Education Service in each year since 2009 is as follows:
	
		
			 Number 
			  Kent Dartford 
			 2009 32 1 
			 2010 32 0 
			 2011 (to date) 16 1 
			 2011 (future bookings) 14 0 
		
	
	The total number of students visiting the Palace of Westminster on these visits, including future bookings for 2011, is 4,389; of these, 65 are from the Dartford constituency.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Cycling: Roads

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had recent discussions with British Cycling on the regulations governing road racing.

Hugh Robertson: I have regular discussions with British Cycling on a range of issues including the regulations governing road racing. The Association of Chief Police Officers have agreed new road racing guidance to ensure parity across the country, including a nominated lead, which has been welcomed by British Cycling.

Departmental Billing

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many invoices received by his Department were paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value was of invoices paid late.

John Penrose: The Department's invoice payment performance measured against the normal contractual commitment to pay all valid invoices within 30 days since May 2010 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Month Invoices paid within target Invoices paid after target Value of late payments (£) 
			 May 2010 414 4 35,701 
			 June 2010 450 4 4,636 
			 July 2010 433 — — 
			 August 2010 364 2 11,790 
			 September 2010 317 1 129 
			 October 2010 324 — — 
			 November 2010 382 — — 
			 December 2010 365 4 10,530 
			 January 2011 297 — — 
			 February 2011 324 — — 
			 March 2011 436 4 40,777 
			 April 2011 334 2 5,150 
			 May 2011 360 4 22,177 
		
	
	The Department also monitors payment performance against the Government's target of paying 80% of valid invoices within five working days.
	The percentage of invoices paid on time against this target was 74.4% during the period.

Football: Lasers

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will discuss with football authorities measures to eliminate the disruptive use of laser pens during football matches; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: I would be happy to raise this at the next appropriate opportunity. I am advised that the football authorities currently work with clubs on a case by case basis where incidents occur, and would encourage clubs and stewards to remain vigilant in their efforts to address this issue.

Historic Buildings

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to protect historic buildings.

John Penrose: English Heritage has recently launched the National Heritage Protection Plan, which sets out why, what and how England's vulnerable historic environment is to be safeguarded in the next four years. Developed in consultation with a wide range of partners, it shows where the threats are the greatest and will help English Heritage to prioritise its work. It will also help other heritage professionals and volunteers to contribute to the business of managing England's heritage. This Department and English Heritage are also considering various measures to tackle the problem of buildings which have been on the Heritage At Risk Register for an extended period of time.

Horse Racing

Gerry Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2011, Official Report, columns 327-8, on race course pitch tenures, what assessment he has made of the progress of negotiations at race courses where (a) no agreements are in place and (b) agreements have been reached in principle;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that the dispute between race course owners and race course bookmakers is resolved quickly.

John Penrose: holding answer 27 June 2011
	I share the hon. Member's wish for this matter to be resolved quickly. I am watching closely the progress of ongoing discussions between the various parties, but especially in those cases where no deal has yet, been agreed in principle. Although it is better for both sides to come to agreement between themselves, rather than have political interference, all options remain open to me. However, time is moving on and I am expecting significant progress in the next three months to get the remaining deals agreed.

Libraries: Reviews

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the (a) terms of reference are and (b) timetable is for his Department's review of major public lending collections.

Jeremy Hunt: A review of the Government, Arts Council England and British Council Art Collections is currently being undertaken and will explore the potential for efficiencies, cost-savings and enhanced public benefit. It is expected to report later this summer.

Ofcom

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  whether he has made a recent assessment of the remit of Ofcom;
	(2)  if he will assess the merits of issuing a direction to Ofcom to empower it to consider and promote economic growth in its decision-making, including on spectrum allocation and orbital filings.

John Penrose: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has recently announced a communication review leading to a new communications Act. The review focuses on three main areas: growth, innovation and deregulation; a communications infrastructure that provides the foundations for growth and creating the right environment for the content industry to thrive. Ofcom's duties and responsibilities as the regulator for communications will be considered as part of this process.

Olympic Games 2012: Lasers

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what consideration he has given to measures to prevent the potential disruptive use of laser pens during the London 2012 Olympics; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is responsible for spectator arrangements within the London 2012 venues. LOCOG has already included laser pens on the list of restricted items included in the terms and conditions for ticketing, alongside other items that could disturb a sporting session. These terms and conditions are available online at the following link:
	http://www.tickets.london2012.com/purchaseterms.html
	Laser pens fall within the definition of “lasers” in section 19.23.

Playing Fields

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport with reference to his Department's Business Plan 2011-15, when he plans to introduce a programme of improvement and protection for playing fields as part of the community sports legacy.

Jeremy Hunt: holding answer 30 June 2011
	As part of Sport England's £135 million mass participation initiative ‘Places, People, Play’, the Minister for Sport and the Olympics and Sport England recently launched Protecting Playing Fields, the £10 million fund to protect and improve sports fields across the country. The programme will fund projects that create, develop and improve playing fields for sporting and community use and offer long-term protection of the site for sport.

Public Holidays

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2011, Official Report, column 480W, on public holidays, if he will hold a full consultation on bank holidays in 2011.

Jeremy Hunt: We are reviewing the evidence submitted during the pre-consultation and will make an announcement shortly.

Sport England: Dartford

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what financial assistance Sport England has provided to community sports clubs and projects in Dartford constituency since May 2010.

Hugh Robertson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 17 March 2011, Official Report, column 529W.

Sports

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the relationship between levels of participation in sports at youth level and sporting performance at elite level; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: To date the Government have not undertaken any assessment. However, through Sport England and UK Sport we are developing a world-class sporting system from the community to the elite level that strives to increase numbers participating in sport, identifies early on talented individuals and for those with talent provides a clear pathway to the very top that offers appropriate support to enable them to realise their full potential.

Sports

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects of HM Revenue and Customs' VAT treatment of league block bookings since February 2011 on participation in sport.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England's Active People Survey measures adult participation in sport. The survey does not include any questions relating to the effects of HM Revenue and Customs' VAT treatment of league block bookings. The latest full-year data show that 4.96% of the adult population participated in football once a week for 30 minutes at moderate intensity. The next full-year data will be published in December 2011.

Sports

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with HM Revenue and Customs on the VAT treatment of league block bookings since February 2011.

Hugh Robertson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff West (Kevin Brennan), on 13 June 2011, Official Report, columns 553-54W.

Sports: Obesity

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of recent trends in participation in sport by children classed as obese.

Hugh Robertson: The Taking Part survey measures participation in sport by children, but does not measure participation by children classed as obese. Trend data from the survey indicate that participation among five to 15-year-olds with a long-term illness, disability or infirmity is on the increase.

World War I: Anniversaries

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what budget has been set for events to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Department has not allocated any budget for this purpose.

World War I: Anniversaries

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the commemoration of the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: I have discussed this important topic with my ministerial colleagues in the Ministry of Defence. We are planning further discussions with Ministers in other Departments with an interest, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

World War I: Anniversaries

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which Department is leading on arrangements to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: Planning for a wide range of events is already under way. The Imperial War Museum in particular is leading the work in this area. The role of Government and which Department will co-ordinate this, is still under discussion.

TRANSPORT

A233: Road Traffic

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate hourly traffic flows in both directions on the A233 in Orpington constituency (a) at peak hours and (b) at other times; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport (DFT) produces traffic estimates using data from manual counts, where trained enumerators count traffic on a specific section of the road network over a 12 hour period.
	Major roads, such as the A223, are represented by a series of links, which are unique sections of road. It is not possible to count every link every year; therefore the sections of road are surveyed on either an annual basis or on a cycle of every two, four or eight years.
	A table providing the latest available 12 hourly data for each section of the A223 in the Orpington constituency has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
	The Department for Transport produces an estimate of the average number of vehicles passing a point in the road network on an average day of the given year (AADF).
	A table providing the estimated annual average daily flows (AADFs) between 2000 and 2010 for each section of the A223 in the Orpington constituency has been deposited in the Libraries of the House. These data are not available by hourly breakdown.
	A map showing the location of the three count points on the A223 in the Orpington constituency has also been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Channel Tunnel Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the number of passengers who have used Southeastern rail services running alongside the High Speed One rail link in each year since the link opened; and what information his Department holds on changes in the level of fares on pre-existing routes during that period.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 27 June 2011
	The information is as follows:
	1. The Department for Transport holds information on the average number of passengers arriving at or departing from the 'critical point' (the point where crowding is highest) on each Southeastern service on a typical weekday during the spring and autumn only. This information is commercially confidential.
	The Department does not hold information on the total number of passengers using Southeastern rail services running alongside the High Speed One rail link over a whole year.
	2. Southeastern services on High Speed One commenced on 13 December 2009.
	The average permitted increase in Southeastern regulated fares was 1.6% in 2010 and 7.8% in 2011. The Department does not hold information on changes in unregulated fares as these are a commercial matter for train operating companies who are free to set them on a commercial basis.

Channel Tunnel Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of passengers on the High Speed One rail route in each year since it opened; and how much revenue has been generated from ticket purchases for the route.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 27 June 2011
	The information is as follows:
	1. The Department for Transport has not made an estimate of the number of passengers on the High Speed One rail route in each year since it opened.
	2. The Office of Rail Regulation publishes revenue figures for the GB rail industry including breakdowns by sectors in National Rail Trends (NRT). This is available on the ORR website:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk
	Revenue figures for individual train operating companies are commercially confidential.

Crewe-Chester Railway Line: Electrification

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to announce his decision on electrification of the Crewe to Chester line.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has made no decision on electrification of the Crewe to Chester line. The recent InterCity West Coast franchise draft invitation to tender stated that should bidders propose further electrification schemes, they would be expected to provide evidence within their bids of how they would finance, plan and deliver such a scheme within the franchise term.

Crewe-Chester Railway Line: Electrification

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has assessed the feasibility of electrification of the rail line between Crewe and Chester.

Theresa Villiers: Network Rail assessed the electrification of the rail line between Crewe and Chester as part of its Electrification Network Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS), published in October 2009. Network Rail is currently reviewing this and other schemes as part of its input to the Initial Industry Plan to be published in the autumn.
	The recent InterCity West Coast franchise draft Invitation to Tender stated that should bidders propose further electrification schemes, they would be expected to provide evidence within their bids of how they would finance, plan and deliver such a scheme within the franchise term.

Crossrail: Rolling Stock

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 574W, on Crossrail: rolling stock, whether the Thameslink Project will require full train length equivalent diagrams to consist of 12 carriages each.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 27 June 2011
	On completion the Thameslink train service will be operated by a fleet consisting of a combination of 12 and eight carriage trains.

Departmental Buildings

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the address is of each office property occupied by his Department outside Greater London which it (a) owns and (b) rents; what the level of utilisation is of each such property; what the capital value is of each such property it owns; and what the (i) annual rental cost and (ii) length of lease agreement is of each rented property.

Norman Baker: I am afraid that the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to publish monthly information on changes in the numbers of employees of his Department's agencies, categorised by (a) seniority, (b) voluntary redundancy, (c) natural wastage and (d) involuntary redundancy.

Norman Baker: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer to his identical question of 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 591W.

Driving Instruction

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the fee levels are for driver awareness courses in the six highest charging authorities; and what assessment he has made of the compliance of such fees with the requirement to charge on a non-profit basis.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport does not hold information concerning fee levels for driver awareness courses in the six highest charging authorities or the level of fees in relation to costs. Driver awareness courses are organised by local police forces and it would be for them to respond on this. The Department strongly supports a national framework and has been keen to encourage all police forces to participate in this, which allows motorists to take courses in their local area and should also provide greater consistency of course fees.

Driving: Licensing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether provisions are in place to prevent the purchasing of motor insurance by an individual who does not have a valid immigration status in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: There is no statutory requirement on motor insurers to check the immigration status of someone seeking to insure a vehicle. Insurers underwrite the risk of those they insure and there is a statutory requirement on an insurer to meet the liability where the insured has been found at fault in an accident.

EC Regulation 137/2007/EC

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the implementation of EC Regulation 137/2007/EC on rail passengers' rights and obligations.

Norman Baker: Following consultation with the rail industry and passenger groups, the Government decided to maintain the decision taken in 2009 by the previous Administration to exempt domestic services from the non-core elements of the Rail Passengers' Rights and Obligations Regulation for a period of five years up to December 2014. We believe that the marginal benefits of fully extending the pan-European regime to domestic passengers would be outweighed by the costs to Government and industry. It would also conflict with our intention to reduce regulatory burdens and with our franchise reform agenda. The UK already has a well-established regime for protecting the rights of domestic rail passengers, including by providing assistance to persons with reduced mobility and disabilities, protecting passengers in case of delay and ensuring a convenient handling of their claims in case of an accident.

Greater Anglia Railways

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the Greater Anglia rail franchise will run for two years and seven periods from its commencement instead of the previously planned one year and seven periods with a one year optional extension.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 28 June 2011
	We have announced that the Greater Anglia franchise will start in February 2012 and run until July 2013, with an option to extend the term by up to one year. The decision to extend is at the sole discretion of the Secretary of State. Such an extension would be competitively priced as part of the competition currently being run to operate this franchise.

Great Western Railway Line: Railway Signals

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the proposed re-signalling of the Great Western Main Line with the European train control system to (a) begin and (b) be completed.

Theresa Villiers: Network rail are responsible for delivering the UK's rollout of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).
	ERTMS rollout on the Great Western main line from Paddington to Bristol is expected to commence in March 2016 and be completed by early 2018. These dates are subject to confirmation by Network Rail following detailed planning.

High Speed Two Railway Line

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on the economy of (a) the West Midlands and (b) Redditch of the proposed High Speed Two route.

Philip Hammond: High Speed Two would generate benefits of around £44 billion and support the creation of around 40,000 jobs. Although no specific assessment has been made on the economic benefits to Redditch, HS2 Ltd's analysis suggests that on the basis of trip origins approximately a quarter of the benefits from the first phase of HS2 would accrue to the West Midlands region.
	In addition, the initial phase of HS2 could support the creation of 8,000 jobs surrounding the proposed HS2 stations in the West Midlands area, as well as helping to catalyse wider growth in the region, including towns in Worcestershire such as Redditch.
	The completion of the second phase of the proposed HS2 network would be expected to deliver further benefits for the West Midlands region.

Level Crossings: Safety

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the procedures followed by (a) the Office of Rail Regulation and (b) Network Rail in implementing the safety recommendations arising from the fatalities at Elsenham level crossing in 2005.

Theresa Villiers: There are no plans to review the operational procedures followed by the independent rail safety regulator. With regard to Network Rail's implementation, it is a role of the Office of Rail Regulation to ensure that rail Accident Investigation Branch safety recommendations are duly taken into consideration, and where appropriate acted upon.
	The Office of Rail Regulation re-opened the investigation into the accident in early 2011.

Motorcycles: Safety

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department plans to spend on campaigns to increase road safety for motorcyclists in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Michael Penning: The spending review allocated £3.5 million for THINK! road safety communications in each year of the review period. Motorcycle safety remains a priority, however all communications are subject to the controls on advertising and marketing spend governed by the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG). In 2011-12, ERG has approved expenditure of £1.12 million on the THINK! Motorcycle safety campaign. Plans for the rest of the spending review period have yet to be submitted and approved.

National Express East Coast

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costs his Department incurred following the return by National Express of the East Coast Mainline franchise.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 22 June 2011
	A full report on the termination of the National Express East Coast contract, including costs incurred by the Department, can be found on the National Audit Office website at
	http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1011/east_coast _passenger_rail.aspx

Public Transport: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Mayor of London, (b) Network Rail and (c) Southeastern Railway on public transport provision in South East London.

Theresa Villiers: Ministers have regular meetings with Network Rail and with the Mayor of London, at which a wide range of subjects are discussed.
	The issue of provision of information to passengers, particularly at times when the rail service is disrupted, is discussed regularly.
	In addition, officials from the Department for Transport also meet London and Southeastern Railway Ltd on a regular basis to discuss performance and a range of wider commercial issues.

Rail Delivery Group

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the name is of each member of the Rail Delivery Group; what employment experience relevant to the Group's work each has; and what the role and responsibilities of the Group are.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 727W, to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell), which sets out the details of the Rail Delivery Group.

Railways: Disability

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with passenger rail franchise holders on steps to be taken to meet the needs of passengers with disabilities.

Norman Baker: The Government are committed to an accessible rail system in which disabled passengers have the same opportunities to travel as other members of society, and rail franchise holders are fundamental to delivering that commitment. The Department for Transport is involved in an ongoing dialogue with the industry concerning the current situation and what further improvements may be made.
	Franchise holders already have a number of specific legal obligations in relation to disabled passengers, including a requirement to produce a Disabled People's Protection Policy which states how they will protect the interests of disabled users of their trains and stations. The Department reviews and approves these documents on an annual basis.

Railways: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the potential cost benefit to (a) rolling stock operators and (b) Network Rail of the introduction of a variable component to track access charges;
	(2)  what progress the Office of Rail Regulation has made in setting a variable component for track access charges.

Theresa Villiers: The structure and level of fixed and variable track access charges, paid by train operators to Network Rail, are set by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) to ensure that Network Rail recovers the costs the regulator allows and to incentivise best use of the rail network.
	ORR is currently undertaking a Periodic Review consultation in advance of the next regulatory settlement that considers issues relating to track access charges among other matters, including issues relating to the existing variable usage charges. The consultation runs until 2 September 2011 and can be found on the ORR website at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.2446

Railways: Franchises

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ticketing and settlement agreements are applicable to rail passenger services in the UK; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each agreement. [R]

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 22 June 2011
	There is only one Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) and it is the agreement between train operating companies (TOCs) that sets out how fares are created, honoured, and sold, and how revenue is settled. The TSA preserves through ticketing and ticket inter-availability, and provides the mechanism by which ticket retailing is regulated.
	Each TOC's franchise agreement with the Secretary of State, and passenger licence granted by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), requires it to be a party to and comply with the TSA.
	The TSA can be accessed by the following links.
	1. The main agreement
	http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/66236/response/169201/attach/7/Appendix%20V.pdf
	2. The schedules
	http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/66236/response/169201/attach/8/Appendix%20VI.pdf

Railways: Franchises

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on (a) legal advice and (b) consultation in respect of its dealings with each train operating company and the franchise each holds.

Norman Baker: holding answer 22 June 2011
	I regret that the information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Railways: Passengers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the effect on passenger numbers of setting the cap on increases in rail fares at the retail prices index plus 3 per cent. in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 November 2010, Official Report, column 335W, to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne).

Railways: Standards

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to increase the frequency of rail services in less populated areas.

Theresa Villiers: The Department's Community Rail Development Strategy, which seeks to make it easier for the rail industry and local communities to do more to ensure the long term health of local services, has aided innovative solutions which have led to increased rail services in some less populated areas. Local authorities are free to use funds allocated to them from the Government to enhance passenger facilities on rural lines and can fund additional services if they feel this is appropriate.

Rapid Transit Systems

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department were engaged in work on the future role of tram-train vehicles on the latest date for which information is available.

Theresa Villiers: Tram-train is potentially an important development that can deliver better services for passengers and reduce the cost of running the railway. Four officials from the Department are currently engaged on developing the Sheffield to Rotherham and Watford to St Albans tram- train pilots and do so as part of a portfolio of projects.

Rapid Transit Systems

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take account of the closure of Filton airfield and the potential commercial and residential development of the site when deciding whether to provide funding to the North Fringe to Hengrove rapid transit scheme.

Norman Baker: Best and final funding bids for all schemes within the development pool need to be submitted to the Department by noon on 9 September. This is a competition and all bids will be judged in an equitable manner.
	As part of their bid all promoters can detail any developments (such as housing or commercial development) that are linked with the scheme they are promoting.

Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 to allow (a) registered nurses, (b) midwives, (c) ambulance first responders and (d) official first aiders to use flashing lighting when attending urgent medical cases or assisting the police; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport has no plans to revise the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations for flashing lamps.
	Allowing the wider use of any restricted lighting function needs to be carefully considered as the warning they provide will become diluted if they are used too often. Ultimately this will be to the disadvantage of those who currently use them.
	The lighting regulations are also subject to the recent ‘Red Tape Challenge’ and comments submitted will be considered.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of reducing the variety of rolling stock designs operating on the national network.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has not recently undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of reducing the varieties of rolling stock designs on the National Network but I note that this was an important issue raised by Sir Roy McNulty in his report and we will be responding in due course.

Speed Limits

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to increase the level of support offered to rural communities wishing to lower speed limits on roads in their area.

Michael Penning: Local highway authorities already have control of local speed limits, and should take full account of local communities' views in setting these limits. A key theme in the Government's Strategic Framework for Road Safety published in May 2011 is the empowerment of local communities, including enabling the public to compare road safety performance in their local area with other similar areas. This will help communities to challenge local service providers on issues such as speed limits. Decisions on speed limits should be based upon comprehensive analysis of all the costs and benefits. The Department is intending to help local decision making through further guidance and an economic toolkit on speed limits.

Transport: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to change the benefit-cost ratios mechanism used by his Department.

Norman Baker: It is important to note that investment decisions are not made mechanistically with sole reference to benefit-cost ratios. Rather, full account is taken of all relevant considerations including those that cannot be ascribed a monetary value.
	In the interests of transparency, we have set down our approach in a document titled ‘The Transport Business Case’, which may be downloaded from our website:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/transport-business-case/
	We have no plans to change the way in which benefit-cost ratios are calculated.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: Administration

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to reduce the administrative requirements in respect of (a) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and (b) traffic commissioners.

Michael Penning: The potential to reduce administrative requirements on the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and traffic commissioners (who are supported administratively by the agency) is being considered actively including through the Red Tape Challenge and we will announce any proposals for change in due course.

EDUCATION

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which academies have selected a new sponsor since May 2011; who the sponsor is in each such case; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Since May 2011, the only current academy where it has been agreed to replace a sponsor is St Michael and All Angels Church of England Academy in Southwark. The academy opened in September 2007, and is in the process of changing sponsor from the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education to Absolute Return for Kids (ARK). The academy will close in July 2013 and will re-open in September 2013, in new buildings, as a 4 form of entry ARK Schools Academy.

Academies: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many academies that were subject to errors in their funding allocation in 2010-11 also experienced an adjustment to their capital funding as a result of the closure of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 27 June 2011
	Queries have been raised about the 2010/11 funding allocations to Academies in North Yorkshire and Hampshire local authorities, and we are looking into these issues. No Academies in North Yorkshire have been allocated funding under the Building Schools for the Future programme. In Hampshire, Havant Academy had its capital allocation reviewed as part of the curtailment of BSF, and was awarded funding in December 2010.

Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Children

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on the report of the Independent Review of the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood, Letting Children be Children; what response his Department gave to each representation; if he will place in the Library a copy of each such response; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: I invited a number of relevant businesses, industry associations, regulators and other non-governmental organisations to a round table meeting on 27 June to discuss the implementation of the recommendations in “Letting Children be Children”, the report of the independent review of the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood by Reg Bailey published on 6 June. It was a positive meeting which discussed a wide range of action to respond to the recommendations, some of which is already under way.
	I have also received representations from the Professional Publishers Association on the display of men's lifestyle magazines in newsagents and other retail outlets; and from the Mothers' Union giving their response to the Bailey review. I will be responding to these in due course. As with other recommendations of the Bailey review, it is for the businesses concerned, their trade associations and their regulators, to decide how best to implement the recommendations in order to protect children from excessive commercialisation and premature sexualisation.
	The Department has also received correspondence from members of the public on different aspects of the Bailey review, including requests for release of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. These individuals will be sent, or have already been sent, appropriate individual responses.

Departmental Billing

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many invoices received by his Department were paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value was of invoices paid late.

Tim Loughton: During the period May 2010 to the end of May 2011, a total number of 53,688 invoices were processed and paid on behalf of the Department for Education by our shared services provider. Of this number, 53,109 (98.9%) were paid within the Department’s standard payment terms (payment within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice). 579 invoices were paid late (total value of £47.9 million).
	The data for each month have been presented in the following table.
	During the period, 78% of all invoices were paid within the Government’s target of payment within five days and 94% within 10 days. In May 2011, we achieved 85%, 97% and 99.5% within five, 10 and 30 days respectively.
	
		
			   Number of invoices paid:  (1)  
			   Within 5 days Within 10 days Late (over 30 days)  (2)  
			  Total invoices paid within month Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Value of late invoices (over  30 days) (£) 
			 2010         
			 May 5,224 3,979 76 4,898 94 82 1.6 5,605,260 
			 June 5,340 4,141 78 5,043 94 69 1.3 3,941,979 
			 July 3,978 2,944 74 3,717 93 53 1.3 932,340 
			 August 4,502 3,407 76 4,284 95 26 0.6 .1,471,738 
			 September 4,009 3,017 75 3,597 90 37 0.9 3,700,384 
		
	
	
		
			 October 3,976 3,309 83 3,784 95 28 0.7 832,858 
			 November 4,223 3,356 79 4,052 96 22 0.5 962,965 
			 December 3,203 2,467 77 3,035 95 15 0.5 533,855 
			          
			 2011         
			 January 2,897 2,146 74 2,680 93 33 1.1 628,753 
			 February 4,209 3,299 78 3,943 94 161 3.8 27,873,741 
			 March 4,980 3,732 75 4,736 95 25 0.5 739,161 
			 April 3,863 3,257 84 3,778 98 11 0.3 130,928 
			 May 3,284 2,785 85 3,180 97 17 0.5 624,475 
			 Total 53,688 41,839 78 50,727 94 579 1.1 47,978,437 
			 (1) Paid into supplier bank account within five, 10 or over 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice at our shared services provider. (2) Standard terms and conditions are to pay within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has any plans to generate low-carbon energy from its estate.

Tim Loughton: The Department is currently reviewing the feasibility of installing low carbon energy technology on one of its main buildings, as part of a forthcoming roof refurbishment project.
	This would be in addition to the 123 photovoltaic panels already installed on its building in Sheffield, which generate over 16,000 kWh of renewable electricity a year. Solar thermal technology is also installed on two of its building to provide hot water.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the cost to his Department and its predecessors was of the provision of ministerial cars in each financial year between 2000-01 and 2010-11; how many (a) cars for the exclusive use of Ministers and (b) ministerial car journeys were paid for by his Department in each such year; what the average cost to his Department of a ministerial car journey was in each such year; and what steps his Department has taken to reduce the cost of Ministerial cars since his appointment.

Tim Loughton: Information relating to the cost and numbers of ministerial cars for the Department for Education and its predecessors prior to 2005 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The information on the cost and numbers of ministerial cars after 2005 to 2009 can be found within the Libraries of both Houses via the following annual written ministerial statements:
	FY 2005/06: 26 July 2007, Official Report, column 110WS
	FY 2006/07: 26 July 2007, Official Report, column 111WS
	FY 2007/08: 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 118WS
	FY 2008/09: 16 July 2009, Official Report, column 80WS
	FY 2009/10: published on the Department for Transport's website:
	http://www2.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/hammond20101028a.html
	The overall costs for FY 2010/11 are being compiled and are due for release in July 2011.
	Information relating to individual ministerial car journeys prior to September 2010 is not available as there was no requirement to collect these data.
	In line with the Ministerial Code published in May 2010, the Department for Education has reduced the number of its ministerial allocated cars/drivers from five cars to one car. Other Ministers now call on the ‘on-demand’ ministerial car service when needed.
	Information relating to the number of ministerial car journeys made since the introduction of the ‘on-demand’ ministerial car service on 6 September 2010 and up until 31 March 2011 for the Department for Education is as follows:
	
		
			 Month Number of ministerial car journeys 
			 2010  
			 September 47 
			 October 67 
			 November 84 
			 December 53 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 68 
			 February 32 
			 March 72 
			  426

Departmental Procurement

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provisions in respect of behavioural standards have been included in procurement contracts issued by his Department since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Department's model contracts are based on the Office of Government Commerce's terms and conditions The model terms make provision for behavioural standards under statutory obligations and regulations, timely payments to sub-contractors, appropriate levels of insurance, confidentiality of information, provision of suitable staff, security, protection of data, confidentiality and discrimination.
	Since January 2011, the Department has published its contracts above £10,000 on Contracts Finder where details of the conditions can be viewed.

Disability: Ethnic Groups

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many local authorities have provided his Department with data on steps to support black and ethnic minority disabled children and their families in accessing short breaks.

Sarah Teather: 123 out of 152 local authorities in England provided the Department with some information on disabled children accessing short breaks as part of their 2009-10 Children in Need (CIN) census return.
	The CIN census covers children receiving social care support. Not all children who are receiving short breaks will be included because some children receive short breaks without social care involvement.
	The following table provides a breakdown of Children in Need receiving short breaks at 31 March 2010 by major ethnic group.
	
		
			 Ethnic breakdown of Children in Need in receipt of short breaks in England at 31 March 2010 
			 Ethnicity Percentage breakdown 
			 White 79 
			 Mixed 4 
			 Asian or Asian British 8 
			 Black or Black British 6 
			 Other Ethnic Group 2 
			 Refused/Not Obtained 1 
			 Total 100 
			 Notes: 1. Data based upon local authorities who submitted Children in Need census data at 31 August 2010. 2. Due to low numbers involved and to protect confidentiality, ethnicity is aggregated into groups. 3. White comprises of White British, White Irish, Traveller of Irish Heritage, Any Other White background and Gypsy/Roma. 4. Mixed comprises of White and Black Caribbean, White and Black African, White and Asian, Any other Mixed background. 5. Asian or Asian British comprises of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Any other Asian background. 6. Black or Black British comprises of Caribbean, African or Any other Black background. 7. Other Ethnic Groups comprises of Chinese and Any other ethnic group. 8. Short breaks includes seven different settings: overnight in child's home, overnight in carer's home, overnight in another setting, day-care in child's home, day-care in carer's home, day care in another setting, befriending service. 9. Some Children in Need may be receiving short breaks in two or more different settings. Each child is only included once in the above table. Source: 2009-10 Children in Need census 
		
	
	The CIN census was not fully completed by local authorities in 2009-10, and therefore it is not possible to provide the above information at local authority level.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2011, Official Report, column 1139W, on the Discretionary Learner Support Fund, how much funding he has allocated to (a) transitional support for students currently in receipt of education maintenance allowance and (b) the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund in the next four academic years.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 23 May 2011
	The following table shows the funding allocated to transitional support for those currently in receipt of the education maintenance allowance, and the funding that will be allocated direct to schools, colleges and training providers for them to award 16-19 bursaries, in each of the next four academic years:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Academic year 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 
			 Transitional support 194.2 — — — 
			 16-19 bursary fund—direct to providers 115.5 180 180 180 
			 Total 309.7 180 180.0 180.0 
		
	
	In each academic year the total value of the 16-19 Bursary Fund is £180 million. In 2011/12, which is a transitional year, the majority of young people in their second or third year of study who might be expected to apply for a bursary will be supported via the national administration arrangements. As a result, the amount that will be allocated directly to schools, colleges and training providers is less than the full value of the 16-19 Bursary Fund. The allocation has been calculated so as to enable schools, colleges and training providers to pay guaranteed bursaries to all young people in vulnerable groups, discretionary bursaries to young people in their first year of post-16 study, and ‘top up' weekly payments to those who are currently in receipt of EMA should they consider it appropriate to do so.

Education: Basic Skills

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many hours of teaching in basic learning skills are required at each key stage; what other requirements his Department places on schools in relation to teaching of basic learning skills; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 27 June 2011
	There are no requirements placed on the number of hours that schools must devote to the teaching of basic learning skills. Schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, which may include such skills, but they are free to use their professional judgment on how this is organised and delivered. Building on the statutory curriculum, which comprises the basic school curriculum and National Curriculum, we believe it should be for individual schools to determine a curriculum structure that best meets the needs of their pupils.

English Baccalaureate

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential for school staff redundancies in subjects not included in the English baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: The English baccalaureate is an option that we think should be open to all who have the ability to benefit from it although it may not be suitable for all pupils. Individual schools will take decisions on the subjects they offer based on the needs and choices of their pupils. There is also considerable scope to take other subjects alongside the English baccalaureate.
	The Department's assessment of the number of new teachers required to be trained annually will continue to take account of a number of factors including teacher turnover. The number of teachers that schools employ in future years will, as now, be a matter for them to decide, according to local needs and subject to statutory requirements on class sizes where appropriate.

Free Schools: Bradford

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of establishing the King's Science Academy free school in Bradford.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 27 June 2011
	We intend to publish business cases, Funding Agreements, and financial information for approved Free Schools when their final costs have been agreed. As is the case for all Free School projects, we are working to ensure that Bradford Science Academy (formerly known as King's Science Academy) represents a value for money investment of public funds. Publishing financial information before negotiations are finalised could make it more difficult to save taxpayers' money.

National Curriculum Review

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had on the National Curriculum Review with (a) officials in his Department and (b) external organisations.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) and I have had a number of discussions with officials within the Department of Education about the progress of the national curriculum review since it was launched earlier this year. In addition, he and I have, both separately and jointly, held a number of meetings and discussions with external organisations, such as teacher unions, subject associations and learned bodies, to discuss the review and the reform of the national curriculum.

National Curriculum Review

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what timetable his Department has established for the completion of the national curriculum review;
	(2)  when his Department plans to publish its response to the evidence received in the course of the call for evidence phase of the national curriculum review;
	(3)  when recent assessment he has made of progress on the national curriculum review.

Nick Gibb: Full details of the review of the national curriculum, including its timetable, are available to view on the Department’s website. We intend to publish new programmes of study for English, mathematics, science and physical education in autumn 2012, with first teaching in schools from September 2013. New programmes of study for any other subjects that are to form part of the new national curriculum will be made available to schools by September 2013, with teaching in maintained schools from September 2014. Beyond this, the review will also advise on matters relating to the implementation of the new national curriculum as described in its remit.
	The call for evidence for phase 1 of the review closed on 14 April and we are currently analysing responses. The call for evidence summary report will be published in due course.
	The review is continuing its work to analyse curricular design in the most successful international education jurisdictions, and is feeding that analysis into the development of new programmes of study for English, mathematics, science and physical education. At the same time it is also considering which other subjects should continue to feature in the national curriculum. It is our intention to publish our proposals early next year, in line with the published timetable.

Nurseries: Complaints

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of complaints made against childcare or day nursery businesses in 2010-11 were found to be (a) unfounded and (b) malicious; and what proportion were referred to the police for further investigation;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of complaints made against childcare or day nursery businesses in the (a) Metropolitan borough of Barnsley and (b) city of Sheffield in 2010-11 were found to be (i) unfounded and (ii) malicious; and what proportion were referred to the police for further investigation.

Sarah Teather: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 23 June 2011
	Your recent parliamentary questions have been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for response.
	As the regulator for childcare in England, Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, receives a significant number of concerns or complaints about people running childcare or day nursery businesses.
	Ofsted’s role as a regulator is not to prove or disprove the information provided by complainants. Instead, our responsibility is to consider, in the light of that information, whether the provider is failing to meet, or failed to meet at the time of any incident, the requirements and conditions of their registration. We investigate all concerns raised with us in order to determine whether the provider has breached requirements, and we take action where we find this to be the case. For these reasons we do not hold data that specifically addresses the queries raised. We do not record complaints as founded or unfounded, and neither do we know whether or not a complaint was made maliciously.
	Some additional background may be helpful. Between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011, Ofsted looked into 8,750 concerns or complaints received against registered (and unregistered) childcare providers in England.
	In 4,997 cases we found that the provider was meeting all the requirements for continued registration and it was not necessary for us to take any further action. 1,638 cases were referred to other agencies, including the local authority and the Police. The most common type of referral in such cases was to Local Authority Designated Officers (LADOs) to ensure that appropriate safeguarding action could be taken. Various degrees of enforcement action were taken in the other cases.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Sarah Teather MP, Minister of State for Children and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Parents: Ethnic Groups

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on the number of black and ethnic minority parents and carers participating in parents forums in each local authority area.

Sarah Teather: The Department for Education does not collect data about individuals participating in parents' forums for parents of disabled children.
	The Department has recently undertaken provided funding to three regional groups of parents' forums to find ways to better engage with parents and carers from black and ethnic minority groups. We will publish more details of the findings from those pilots over the summer.

Physical Education

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make emergency life support skills part of the physical education syllabus; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government have no plans to make emergency life support skills a part of the physical education syllabus. The non-statutory programmes of study for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education currently provide a context for schools to teach pupils how to recognise and follow health and safety procedures, including ways of reducing risk and minimising harm in risky situations, how to find sources of emergency help and how to use basic and emergency first aid. Pupils learn to develop the skills to cope with emergency situations that require basic first aid procedures, including, at key stage 4 (ages 15 to 16), resuscitation techniques.

Primary Education: Chess

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to ensure that children are taught chess during their primary school education.

Nick Gibb: By reducing the requirements of the national curriculum and by other measures which will reduce bureaucratic burdens on schools, the Government are giving schools the space and resources to provide a truly rounded education for all pupils.

Religion: Education

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of excluding religious education (RE) from the English baccalaureate on the number of student teachers specialising in RE.

Nick Gibb: Religious education does not count towards the humanities element of the English baccalaureate because it is already a compulsory subject. The teaching of religious education remains compulsory throughout a pupil's schooling. One of the intentions of the English baccalaureate is to encourage wider take up of geography and history in addition to, rather than instead of, compulsory religious education. There is considerable scope to take other subjects alongside the English baccalaureate.
	The initial teacher training (ITT) targets for 2011/12 were announced on 31 January 2011 and published as part of the Statistical First Release on School Workforce (SFR11/2010). The ITT target for religious education for courses starting in 2011/12 is 460. The ITT targets beyond this, including religious education, have not yet been assessed but will continue to take account of a number of factors including decreasing secondary pupil numbers. The number of teachers that schools employ in future years will, as now, be a matter for them to decide, according to local needs and subject to statutory requirements on class sizes where appropriate.

Religion: English Baccalaureate

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education on the exclusion of religious education from the English Baccalaureate; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Officials have held a number of meetings with NATRE, who have submitted information about the impact that they anticipate the English Baccalaureate will have on RE teaching in future. We do not currently collect systematic data on detailed subject option choices offered by schools or the choices pupils make on their GCSE subjects. However, the Department has work underway to assess whether and how the English Baccalaureate has influenced GCSE choices made in schools from September 2011. We will use this, together with a range of other information sources, to inform future policy development.

Religion: Secondary Education

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education on the effects of the English Baccalaureate proposals on religious education in secondary schools.

Nick Gibb: Officials have held a number of meetings with NATRE, who have submitted information about the impact that they anticipate the English Baccalaureate will have on RE teaching in future. We do not currently collect systematic data on detailed subject option choices offered by schools or the choices pupils make on their GCSE subjects. However, the Department has work underway to assess whether and how the English Baccalaureate has influenced GCSE choices made in schools from September 2011. We will use this, together with a range of other information sources, to inform future policy development.

Schools: Assessments

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  on what dates he met representatives of school examination boards between 16 May and 22 June 2011;
	(2)  when he was first informed of errors in school examination papers for use in 2011; and on what subsequent occasions he has been informed of errors in such papers;
	(3)  on what date he directed that all school examination papers should be rechecked; and on what date he received the report of that exercise;
	(4)  whether he plans to ensure that no student affected by an error in an A-level examination paper is refused a place at the university of their choice as a result of any effect of the error on the final examination grade.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 27 June 2011
	As the regulator of the awarding bodies and qualifications, Ofqual is taking swift and robust action to hold awarding bodies to account for these unacceptable errors. Since the Secretary of State was first made aware of an error in examination papers taken in schools during the summer 2011 series on 3 June, he has been informed as each additional error has been identified and has repeatedly spoken with Ofqual's chief executive and asked to be updated on their intended course of action.
	Ofqual met the chief executives of the awarding bodies responsible for GCE and GCSE examinations between 16 May and 22 June, and it was Ofqual's decision, which the Secretary of State supports, to write to the chief executives of all awarding bodies responsible for GCE and GCSE examinations on 7 June. In her letter, the chief executive of Ofqual required the awarding bodies concerned to give their written assurance that they had implemented additional checks on the question papers for examinations that remained to be taken, to ensure that there were no further errors that had been missed by earlier quality assurance processes. Each awarding organisation provided Ofqual with written assurances by 13 June that such additional quality checks had been or would be made before papers were sat.
	Ofqual will also be checking the awarding organisations' arrangements for securing redress, to ensure they are fair both to the candidates who were directly affected, and those who were not.

Schools: Assessments

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  on what date the OCR A-level physics paper of 21 June 2011 was rechecked for errors; on what date the error in the examination was first identified; by whom; and what steps (a) he and (b) the OCR have taken in consequence;
	(2)  on what date the OCR GCSE Latin paper of 20 June 2011 was rechecked for errors; on what date the error in the examination was first identified; by whom; and what steps (a) he and (b) the OCR have taken in consequence;
	(3)  on what date the errors in the AQA business studies paper of 24 May 2011 were first identified; by whom; and what steps (a) he and (b) the AQA have taken in consequence;
	(4)  on what date the AQA GCSE mathematics paper of 14 June 2011 was rechecked for errors; on what date the error in the examination was first identified; by whom; and what steps (a) he and (b) the AQA have taken in consequence;
	(5)  on what date the AQA AS-level computing paper of 14 June 2011 was rechecked for errors; on what date the error in the diagram was first identified; by whom; and what steps (a) he and (b) the AQA have taken in consequence;
	(6)  on what date the errors in the AQA AS-level geography paper of 24 May 2011 were first identified; by whom; and what steps (a) he and (b) the AQA have taken in consequence;
	(7)  when Ofqual completed its additional checks on examination papers;
	(8)  on what date he was first informed of errors in examination questions in the Edexcel biology paper of 16 May 2011; what information Edexcel provided to him (a) at that point and (b) subsequently; what steps the examination board have taken in consequence; what estimate has been made of the number of students affected by the error; and whether any estimate has been made of the number of students whose future educational opportunities will be adversely affected;
	(9)  what information he has received from Edexcel on the steps it plans to take to quantify the potential effect on examination results of the error in the biology examination of 16 May 2011;
	(10)  what steps Edexcel has proposed to take to remedy issues arising from errors in its examination papers in 2011; and on what date he was notified of such proposals;
	(11)  how many GCSE, AS and A-level exam papers were sat between 9 and 22 June 2011; how many such papers (a) were and (b) were not double-checked for errors; and in respect of how many which had been double-checked errors were discovered while students were sitting the examinations;
	(12)  what estimate his Department has made of the (a) potential maximum and (b) average difference to a mark issued for an examination paper in which there was a live error once the examination board has taken steps to account for the error;
	(13)  which examination papers set in the examination period of May and June 2011 contained live errors; and in respect of which such papers erratum notices were issued;
	(14)  on what date errors on the OCR mathematics paper of 26 May 2011 were first identified; by whom; and what steps (a) he and (b) the examination board have taken in consequence;
	(15)  on what date errors in the Edexcel Economics Unit 2 AS Macro paper of 27 May 2011 were first identified; by whom; and what steps (a) he and (b) the examination board have taken in consequence;
	(16)  on what date errors in the OCR AS-level ICT Coursework mark scheme were first identified; by whom; what steps OCR have taken in consequence; and what consideration was given to issuing an erratum notice in respect of the errors;
	(17)  how many errata notices were issued by examination boards (a) in each year since 2007 and (b) in 2011 to date;
	(18)  what (a) the policy and (b) practice of (i) Ofqual and (ii) its predecessor has been on the collection of information on live examination errors;
	(19)  how many examination papers (a) had and (b) had not been checked by examination boards following the reports made by Ofqual as at 21 June 2011;
	(20)  how many errors in examination papers set by (a) AQA, (b) EdExcel and (c) OCR were found as a result of the reports by Ofqual of 9 June 2011 before examinations were sat; and what steps were taken in cases where errors were found.

Nick Gibb: The errors that have come to light in GCSEs and A Levels are extremely serious and are unacceptable. As the regulator of awarding organisations and the qualifications they offer, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) have taken swift and robust action to hold awarding organisations to account for these mistakes, and to check that any mistakes in as yet untaken exams are identified and put right. Ofqual will also be checking the awarding organisations' arrangements for securing redress, to ensure they are fair both to the candidates who were directly affected, and those who were not. The Secretary of State for Education has had regular updates from the chief executive of Ofqual, Glenys Stacey, on Ofqual's current action. He has also asked to be kept informed about further steps they will be taking to ensure that awarding organisations do not repeat these mistakes. Fiona Pethick, Director of Regulation at Ofqual has written to the hon. Member providing further details and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Fiona Pethick, dated 28 June 2011
	I am responding to your parliamentary questions on behalf of Glenys Stacey, the Chief Executive of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). Ofqual is the independent regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England and of vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland.
	You will be aware that a number of your parliamentary questions relating to errors in this summer's examination papers have been passed from the Secretary of State to Ofqual to answer as they fall within our regulatory remit. These errors in examination papers are unacceptable and Ofqual is taking action to understand the root cause, ensure candidates affected get as fair a result as possible, and to consider what changes may be needed in future to awarding organisation processes and procedures. Later this week we will be publishing details of our inquiry into these errors.
	There are three particular areas where Ofqual is not in a position to answer your questions. First, we do not hold information about which specific individual or centre identified the error. Secondly, we do not hold information about the dates on which checks on examination papers were made, nor do we hold information about the numbers of papers that were or were not re-checked. (Both, ref PQ nos: 62551, 62553, 62552, 62554, 62555, 62556, 62563, 62568,). Thirdly it is not possible to estimate the maximum and average difference to a mark issued as each situation is different. (Ref PQ: 62566).
	Where we are in a position to answer your questions, I have grouped our responses below by theme.
	Action Ofqual has taken
	(Ref PQ no: 62561)
	On 7 June Ofqual wrote to all GCSE and A level awarding organisations to require them to carry out additional quality checks on examinations that had yet to be taken. Each awarding organisation provided Ofqual with written assurances by 13 June that such additional quality checks had been made or would be made before papers were taken.
	When it became apparent that further, avoidable, errors had occurred, I visited OCR to discuss these errors. Glenys Stacey and I also met with the Chief Executive Officers of the Awarding Organisations delivering GCSEs and GCEs last week.
	We have published two statements on our website - one specifically aimed at candidates and another setting out the action we are taking. Ofqual has also published a detailed list of the specific examination papers that have been affected so that candidates can know whether or not they are affected and to know which awarding organisation to contact if they wish for further information.
	We have announced that we will publish, this week, information about our inquiry into the errors this summer to establish all the facts, identify the root causes and make recommendations for action to help ensure, so far as possible, that such avoidable errors do not happen in future.
	Live errors
	(Ref PQ nos: 62565, 62567)
	The published examination timetables show that between 9 and 22 June this year, 438 GCSE and 345 GCE papers were scheduled.
	The following papers taken by candidates in England had errors in them which were not identified and corrected before the paper was taken. The notification dates are also included.
	(Ref PQ nos: 62553, 62555, 62556. 62554, 62563, 62552, 62568, 62551)
	
		
			 Awarding organisation Subject Date Sat Date notified to Ofqual 
			 AQA GCE AS Business Studies—Unit 2 Managing a Business: BUSS2 24 May 2011 3 June 2011 
			 AQA GCE AS Computing—Unit 2 Computer Components, The Stored Program Concept and the Internet: COMP2 7 June 2011 8 June 2011 
			 AQA GCE AS Geography—Unit 2 Geographical Skills: GEOG2 24 May 2011 3 June 2011 
			 AQA GCSE Mathematics (new specification)—Unit 2 Number and Algebra: 43602F(1) 21 June 2011 21 June 2011 
			 CCEA GCSE Business Studies—Unit 2 Business Development 6 June 2011 7 June 2011 
			 Edexcel GCE AS Biology—Unit 1 Lifestyle, Transport, Genes and Health: 6BI01 16 May 2011 17 May 2011 
			 OCR GCSE Latin—Unit 3 Latin Prose Literature: A403/02 20 June 2011 20 June 2011 
			 OCR GCEAS Maths-Decision—Mathematics 1:4736 26 May 2011 27 May 2011 
			 OCR GCE A2 Physics A—Fields, Particles and Frontiers of Physics: G485 21 June 2011 21 June 2011 
			 (1) Printing error affecting some of the question papers. 
		
	
	Of these errors, three came to light after the additional checks had been made.
	You also asked a series of questions about Edexcel Biology. We understand that 17,003 candidates sat this particular paper. Only one mark is affected for this particular AS unit so it is unlikely to have a significant impact on students' future education opportunities. (Ref PQ no; 62562)
	Complaints
	Ofqual has received complaints in relation to two papers that are mentioned in your Parliamentary Questions. These are:
	OCR GCE AS level ICT coursework. Ofqual received a complaint about this paper on 16 June 2011. We have requested a detailed response from OCR to ascertain the number of candidates potentially affected by this complaint, the timeline, the rationale for not re-issuing a corrected mark scheme and the specific instructions given to moderators. (Ref PQ no: 62570)
	Edexcel GCE AS Economics paper. Ofqual received a number of complaints about this paper and Edexcel have confirmed that although the paper does not contain an error it does contain a question which could be answered in more than one way. Guidance has been issued to the marking team highlighting the two acceptable answers. (Ref PQ no: 62569)
	Redress and actions that awarding organisations have taken
	(Ref PQ no: 62551, 62552, 62553, 62554, 62555, 62556, 62563, 62564, 62568)
	Ofqual has written to all relevant awarding organisations highlighting the importance of taking effective steps to limit the impact on students' marks and grades. The appropriate mechanisms for redress will differ depending on the context and we have confirmed that the following options could be considered:
	Adjustments of the marking scheme to omit the question concerned or to give all students credit for the question concerned,
	Taking account of all available evidence in awarding grades, including:
	statistical analyses to understand any potential impact on students performance on questions that followed the error, and
	statistical analyses comparing students' performance on the affected units with their performance on other units.
	Allowing applications for special consideration, where appropriate,
	Providing a no fee re-sit at the next opportunity, and
	Providing an additional no fee re-sit before the end of the summer 2011 series.
	Each awarding organisation has .been required to provide Ofqual with a detailed report for each affected question paper which details the actions planned, informed by the analysis, together with the rationale for those actions. These will be received in the coming weeks once marking is completed.
	In all cases awarding organisations have sent a letter of apology to schools and colleges (known as centres) where an error in an examination paper has come to light.
	For the AQA GCSE Mathematics paper where the issue was a printing error, AQA have instigated an investigation with the printer of this paper.
	Errata and re-prints
	(Ref PQ no: 62571, 62572)
	It is established policy and practice, both by Ofqual and its predecessor organisation, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), to require awarding organisations to provide timely notification of incidents that pose a threat to the integrity of the qualifications system. In the context of examination errors, we require awarding organisations to notify the regulators where an error is found that may threaten the validity of the assessment, An element of professional judgement has always been required about the nature and impact of an error.
	Where an error is found before an examination paper is taken, either the paper is replaced or an erratum is issued. We routinely collect information at the end of each examination, series about the number of errata issued. We can confirm that in 2010 there were 34 erratum notices, in 2009 there were 34 erratum notices, in 2008 there were 18 erratum notices and in 2007 there were 27 erratum notices. For the 2011 examination series we will receive final information about errata that were issued prior to 7 June 2011 once all the examinations have been taken. However, we do know that there were 15 erratum notices which were issued as a result of the additional checks that we required.
	For each of the following awarding organisations we can confirm that the following errors were identified and rectified as a result of the checks. (Ref PQ nos: 62573, 62574)
	
		
			  Number of errors Erratum Clarification notice Replaced 
			 AQA 8 6 0 2 
			 Edexcel 4 1 3 0 
			 OCR 4 4 0 0 
		
	
	Please be assured that Ofqual takes the issue of errors in examinations very seriously and we will continue to oversee the actions of the awarding organisations to make sure that candidates are not unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged.
	I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss these issues and to hear your views on the regulation of awarding organisations. My office will be in touch to offer dates.

Schools: Assessments

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much time he has spent on the matter of examination question errors since 16 May 2011; whom he has met, and on what date, in the course of his work on this issue; and if he will publish the minutes of each such meeting;
	(2)  what information his Department holds on the (a) names of schools and (b) proportion of schools with candidates in the Edexcel biology paper of 16 May 2011 which added time on to the examination period;
	(3)  how many errors in examination questions have been notified to his Department since 9 June 2011;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with representatives of Edexcel on the provision of means of redress to students who sat its A-level biology examination on 16 May 2011 and were affected by errors in the examination questions.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has held no meetings with third parties outside Government on this issue. The Secretary of State spoke to Glenys Stacey, the chief executive of Ofqual on Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd, Friday 24th and Saturday 25th June on this matter. The Secretary of State's office does not provide minutes of such meetings, which are based on the provision on private advice to Ministers. I met Andrew Hall, chief executive of AQA informally at a conference organised by Reform on Tuesday 28 June.
	The Department does not collect information on the individual examination papers chosen by schools, or on their conduct of examinations.
	Since 9 June, two examination question errors have been reported to the Department. In addition one printing error, which had implications for the majority of questions on a GCSE mathematics paper, has been reported.
	The errors that have been identified are unacceptable, and the examination awarding bodies concerned must take full responsibility for measures to ensure that candidates are not unfairly disadvantaged by the errors, and to ensure that it does not happen again. In doing so they must satisfy Ofqual that they are taking appropriate action to mitigate the impact of these errors.
	To date, Ofqual is concentrating its efforts on the steps awarding organisations need to take now to ensure there are no further mistakes in this summer's series and make sure that awarding bodies are putting in place arrangements for securing redress, to ensure they are fair both to the candidates who were directly affected, and those who were not. It is extremely important that effective steps are taken to limit the impact on students' marks and grades, and maintain standards overall. Such redress aims to make good so far as is possible. Wider redress measures are broadly a matter for awarding organisations and they have been encouraged by Ofqual to be transparent with candidates about these.

Schools: Inspections

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools achieved a rating of outstanding in their Ofsted inspection in (a) Kent and (b) Dartford constituency in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 24 June 2011
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	Since 2005, maintained school inspections have been carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Ofsted records all judgements made by Inspectors in section 5 inspections, including the judgement for overall effectiveness of the school.
	Maintained schools inspected under section 5 include nursery, primary, secondary (including academies and city technology colleges), special schools and pupil referral units.
	Table A below shows the number of maintained schools judged to be outstanding for overall effectiveness at their section 5 inspection during the academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10 inclusive in Kent local authority and Dartford constituency. Equivalent data have also been provided for England for context, and the table shows the total number of inspections in each of these areas in each year.
	In September 2009, Ofsted implemented a policy of more proportionate inspection using risk assessment as an aid to scheduling the inspection of good and outstanding schools. We deliberately set out to inspect a greater proportion of previously satisfactory or inadequate schools each year and a smaller proportion of previously good or outstanding schools. The sample of schools inspected is therefore skewed and means that comparisons between years should be treated with caution as some differences are due to the very different sample of schools inspected during the different periods.
	Statistics covering the outcomes of all inspections carried out in each academic year since 2005/06 can be found at:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Statistics/Maintained-schools/Inspection-outcomes
	The most recent official statistics release covering the outcomes of maintained school inspections carried out during the autumn and spring terms 2010/11 were released on 15 June 2011 and can be accessed at the same link.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			 Table A: Schools judged outstanding for overall effectiveness at their section 5 inspection in (a) England (b) Kent local authority (c) Dartford constituency in each of the last five years 
			 Number/percentage 
			  2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 
			 Number of schools judged outstanding for overall effectiveness, and as a percentage of total number of inspections in the area      
			 England 648 (11%) 1,150 (14%) 1,146 (15%) 1,327(19%) 782 (13%) 
			 Kent local authority 13 (9%) 24 (12%) 26 (11%) 21 (11%) 13 (8%) 
			 Dartford constituency(1) 0 0 3 0 1 
			       
			 Total number of inspections in academic year      
			 England 6,128 8,323 7,866 7,065 6,171 
			 Kent local authority 148 203 233 192 157 
			 Dartford constituency 9 14 19 14 9 
			 (1) Where numbers are small, percentages are not displayed.

Schools: Libraries

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the state of school library services; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has made an estimate of the likely number of school library closures in the next academic year; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he has made an estimate of the likely number of redundancies among school librarians in the next academic year; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: A good school library is a very valuable resource for pupils and teachers.
	As we said in our response to the commission set up by the National Literacy Trust and Museums, Libraries and Archives "School Libraries: A Plan for Improvement", school libraries are not compulsory, but good school libraries and schools library services make a positive contribution to children's literacy.
	Our aim is to put as much money as possible directly into schools' budgets, allowing schools to target resources appropriately and to make their own choices about their school library provision and book resourcing.
	The Department has made no estimate of the likely number of schools library closures or any assessment of the likely number of redundancies in the next academic year. However, through the School Workforce Survey the Department collects data on the number of librarians in maintained schools in England and on the number of schools with librarians. The most recent data collected are as follows:
	
		
			 Headcount number of librarians in service in publicly-funded schools, by phase of education, November 2010, England 
			  Number 
			 Nursery and primary 850 
			 Secondary 3,290 
			 Academies and CTCs 350 
			 Special 30 
			 Centrally-employed 40 
			 Total 4,570 
		
	
	
		
			 Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Workforce Census. 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of schools with librarians in service in publicly-funded schools, by phase of education, November 2010, England 
			  Number 
			 Nursery and primary 800 
			 Secondary 2,210 
			 Academies and CTCs 230 
			 Special 30 
			 Centrally-employed(1) 10 
			 Total 3,270 
			 (1) Centrally employed librarians shows the number of local authorities that employ librarians to visit various schools. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Workforce Census.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to ensure that schools comply with their statutory duty to provide independent advice and guidance for year 11 pupils in an impartial manner; and what steps he plans to take to monitor the quality of the advice and guidance given.

Nick Gibb: Schools should be accountable to the pupils, parents and communities they serve. The evidence of whether schools are succeeding will be demonstrated both through pupil achievement and, crucially, through the destinations measure we plan to publish. If pupils are achieving and progressing then we should assume the school is providing effective support to inform the decisions that pupils make about their future education and career.
	The Government have also accepted the recommendation of the Careers Profession Task Force to ask Ofsted to carry out a thematic review of careers guidance as a means of identifying excellent provision and establishing a baseline for future policy development. We are considering the most appropriate timing for this.

Students: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  whether he has assessed the merits of paying compensation to students who failed to gain a place at the university of their choice as a result of being awarded a lower grade arising from errors in examination questions;
	(2)  at what time and on what day (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department (i) first and (ii) subsequently spoke to Ofqual on live errors in examination papers in May and June 2011.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 June 2011
	To date, Ofqual is concentrating its efforts on the steps awarding organisations need to take now to ensure there are no further mistakes in this summer's exams and make sure that awarding bodies are putting in place arrangements for securing redress, to ensure they are fair both to the candidates who were directly affected, and those who were not. It is extremely important that effective steps are taken to limit the impact on students' marks and grades, and to maintain standards overall.
	The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), spoke to Glenys Stacey, the chief executive of Ofqual on Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd, Friday 24th and Saturday 25th June on this matter.

Teachers: Academies

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements are made for the protection of the terms and conditions of teachers, teaching assistants and support staff of schools which become Academies.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 June 2011
	When a school converts to Academy status all staff who choose to move to the new Academy from the predecessor school transfer on their existing terms and conditions of service under the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE).
	The existing employer—either the local authority for community and voluntary controlled schools or the school governing body for foundation and voluntary aided schools—must consult with staff if it envisages that it will take measures related to the transfer which will affect employees, such as dealing with restructuring or changing terms to ensure that the views of all affected staff are taken into account.

Vocational Education

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on steps to revive junior technical provision;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the steps which would be required to revive junior technical provision;
	(3)  what his Department's policy is on implementation of the recommendations of Alison Wolf's report on vocational learning on the revival of junior technical provision.

Nick Gibb: In her report on vocational education, Professor Wolf highlighted the role that colleges can play in providing vocational options for 14 to 16-year-olds and suggested that if colleges enrol students under 16 then they can revive junior technical provision. She recommended that the Government make explicit the legal right of colleges to enrol students under 16 and ensure that funding procedures make this possible.
	In response to Professor Wolf’s recommendations, all of which were accepted by Government, we made a commitment to communicate to all schools and colleges that more young people should be offered the opportunity to enrol in college pre-16. We also made a commitment to work with colleges in the autumn to investigate the barriers to pre-16 enrolment in colleges and consider the next steps.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost to his Department was of the provision of ministerial cars in each financial year between 2000-01 and 2010-11; how many (a) cars for the exclusive use of Ministers and (b) ministerial car journeys were paid for by his Department in each such year; what the average cost to his Department of a ministerial car journey was in each such year; and what steps his Department has taken to reduce the cost of ministerial cars since his appointment.

Alan Duncan: Details of the number and cost of ministerial cars from 2005-06 to 2009-10 have been published annually by written statement and are available in the Library of the House. Details for 2010-11 are being compiled and will be released during July 2011. Information prior to 2005 is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	On taking up office all three Department for International Development (DFID) Ministers were given the use of a dedicated Government Car Service (GCS) car and driver. Following the publication of the 2010 Ministerial Code in May, Ministers agreed that only the Secretary of State would have use of his own car, and that all other DFID Minsters should use cars from the GCS pool. DFID immediately took steps to terminate our existing GCS contract, which contained a three-month notice period, and has tendered commercially through the Official Journal of the European Community our requirement for these services to ensure that we obtain best value for money.
	From 4 September 2010 the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I have used cars from the GCS pool and have made 545 journeys to 31 March 2011. The number of journeys made by the Secretary of State since September 2010 and information relating to individual ministerial car journeys prior to September 2010 is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2011, Official Report, column 27W, on Libya: armed conflict, what the Civil Service grade is of the most senior official of his Department working on post-conflict planning.

Andrew Mitchell: The director general for the middle east and north Africa leads the Libya post-conflict planning work of the Department for International Development (DFID). The permanent secretary is also regularly engaged in this work.
	DFID has set up a Libya Crisis Unit headed by a deputy director (grade 5). She is supported by two deputy heads (grade A1), who lead teams covering (a) Stabilisation and Transition Policy and (b) Humanitarian and Ministerial Engagement.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether officials of his Department involved in post-conflict planning in Libya have discussed the task with officials involved in post-conflict planning after the invasion of (a) Afghanistan in 2001 and (b) Iraq in 2003.

Andrew Mitchell: A number of Department for International Development officials in the Libya Crisis Unit have personal experience of post-conflict planning for Afghanistan and Iraq. They have also worked closely with the International Stabilisation Response Team which includes people with post-conflict planning experience from across Government and more widely.
	The UK Government's tri-departmental Stabilisation Unit was formed in 2004 as a response to the challenges faced in Iraq and Afghanistan. It provides expertise to the Whitehall teams working on Libya post-conflict planning based on practical lessons from previous work in conflict states (including Iraq and Afghanistan).

Libya: Armed Conflict

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff of his Department work in its Libya Unit; and what the budget of that unit for 2011-12 is.

Andrew Mitchell: There are currently 15 people working full time in the DFID London Libya Crisis Unit, which also receives part-time support from a conflict adviser (50%) and a conflict, humanitarian and security (CHASE) humanitarian response manager (25%).
	The UK has set aside £20.6 million to support post conflict stabilisation activities for Libya. This includes £8.5 million from the tri-departmental conflict pool and £12 million from DFID funds for Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligible activities.
	Any future humanitarian response will be needs based with a very clear focus on delivering results and adding value to the international response.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to support education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.

Andrew Mitchell: Pakistan faces an education emergency. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa around half the population is illiterate; for females aged nine to 39, this rises to almost three quarters. As part of the UK Government's commitment to get up to 4 million children into school in Pakistan by 2015, our support to implement the Education Sector Plan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will get more than 600,000 boys and girls into primary school, and more than 200,000 boys and girls into secondary school. We will also get more than 20,000 women enrolled in literacy programmes, build 3,840 new classrooms and literacy centres, with upgraded facilities in a further 1,260 schools (e.g. girls lavatories and boundary walls). Our support will also help to increase the number of girls attending school.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department allocated to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan in real terms in each financial year since 2001.

Andrew Mitchell: It is not possible to disaggregate the total amount of aid allocated to any one province in Pakistan without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The Department for International Development does provide substantial support for programmes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This includes support to implement the province's Education Sector Plan, which will get more than 600,000 boys and girls into primary school, and more than 200,000 boys and girls into secondary school by 2015. Our support for health services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will see 110,000 more children fully immunised, and significantly improve family planning services across the province by 2015.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the aid allocated by his Department to Yemen between February and June 2011 has been spent; and on what.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) spent £14.77 million on aid to Yemen between February and June 2011.
	Of this, £9.88 million was spent on humanitarian assistance (a further £6.36 million of approved funds are still to be disbursed); £3.23 million on improving education; £1.21 million on strengthening the Yemeni state's ability to deliver basic services, including policing and justice, and management of the economy; £0.41 million on improving access to basic services for poor and vulnerable Yemenis, and £0.04 million on Yemen policy research.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether financial receipts from the New Homes Bonus are required to be spent in the local area of the development to which they relate.

Grant Shapps: The New Homes Bonus is not ring-fenced. The first £200 million was allocated to local authorities in April and authorities will be looking at how best to spend this funding to meet local needs. The priorities of local communities and barriers to growth are different across the country and the Government will not dictate where the Bonus should be spent.
	However, local authorities and local councillors need to consider carefully how to respond to local wishes and ensure that the benefits of growth are transparent in the communities where growth takes place—for example, improving play areas, transport improvements or town centre regeneration.

Affordable Housing

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department has allocated to each local authority for the new homes bonus scheme.

Grant Shapps: The new homes bonus will match fund the additional council tax raised—using the national average in each band—for new homes and long-term empty properties brought back into use, with a premium for affordable homes for the following six years. Year 1 (2011-12) allocations for English local authorities were announced on 4 April and paid on 15 April. A full list of year 1 allocations has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Full details of the calculation for the bonus for each local authority can be found in the online calculator, available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingsupply/newhomesbonus

Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment: Fires

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2010, Official Report, column 180W, on Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment fires, what assessment he has made of the information on the August 2010 fires submitted to his Department; what recent discussions he has had with the Ministry of Defence fire service on emergency response co-ordination; and if he will make it his policy to strengthen the formal links between Royal Berkshire fire and rescue service and the Ministry of Defence fire service.

Bob Neill: The fire at Aldermaston AWE took place on 3 August 2010. The Ministry of Defence's fire and rescue service investigated the operational response to the incident and produced a report. This identified areas where improvements could be made, including arrangements with the Royal Berkshire fire and rescue service. This review has been completed and I understand the findings have been acted upon by the respective authorities. Officials in my Department liaise closely with the Ministry of Defence's fire and rescue service on a regular basis, and on a range of issues.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 156W, on anti-Semitism, for what reasons the UK Government uses the Macpherson definition of a racist incident; when the decision was taken to use this definition; who took the decision; whether representatives of the Jewish community were consulted on the definition to be used; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Sir William Macpherson's definition of a racist incident was developed during the Inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which reported in 1999. The Secretary of State for the Home Department's Action Plan in that same year accepted the definition.
	A cross Government hate crime programme was established by Mr Justice Fulford following on from the Macpherson report. During 2007 the programme established a universal definition of hate crime adopted by all criminal justice agencies and Government Departments. This common definition built on the principles of the Macpherson definition and was developed with the oversight of the standing Independent Advisory Group, which includes representation from Jewish Community groups.
	The full definition of ‘Monitored Hate Crime’ can be viewed on the police owned website True Vision at:
	http://www.report-it.org.uk/hate_crime_data1

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 156W, on anti-Semitism, which agencies use the working definition of anti-Semitism adopted by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Andrew Stunell: We do not keep central records on which agencies use the working definition. Criminal justice agencies adopted the common definition of ‘Monitored Hate Crime’ in 2007 and the Association of Chief Police Officers intend to include the working definition in the their Hate Crime Manual.
	The full definition of ‘Monitored Hate Crime’ can be viewed on the police owned website, True Vision, at:
	http://www.report-it.org.uk/hate_crime_data1

Departmental Official Visits

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 447W, on departmental official visits, and with reference to paragraph 74 of the Third Report of the Procedure Committee, Session 2008-09, on Written Parliamentary Questions, HC 952, if he will disclose the information requested on Ministerial visits that would have been disclosed had a request for the information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 been submitted to his Department.

Bob Neill: In this instance, the Department no longer holds the information requested.

EU Grants and Loans: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much European regional development fund funding was allocated to the West Midlands in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: European regional development fund is allocated in seven year blocks. For the 2000-06 fund programme, €691 million was spent in the West Midlands programme. For the 2007-13 Fund programme, €399.9 million was allocated to the West Midlands programme.

Fire Services

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he is taking steps to provide support for fire and rescue services for the cost of maintaining fire hydrants.

Bob Neill: Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant. This means that authorities are free to spend it on any service provided they meet their statutory obligations. Spending decisions must be a matter for the local authority, taking into account local priorities.
	In new developments the water authorities often add on the cost of hydrant provision to the developer for the site.

Homelessness: Social Rented Housing

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many homeless households were offered accommodation by local authorities under Section 192(3) of the Housing Act 1996 in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what assistance his Department provides for homeless households who are found to be intentionally homeless and not in priority need;
	(3)  what steps his Department has taken to encourage local authorities to use their powers under Section 192(3) of the Housing Act 1996 to offer accommodation to homeless households who are found to be not in priority need; and what assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of health, education and policing services arising from local authorities not using such powers.

Grant Shapps: In 2009/2010, 100,800 households were assisted to obtain alternative accommodation through Local Authorities' prevention/relief activities under section 192(3) of the Housing Act 1996. A further 64,400 households were able to remain in their existing home.
	Figures relating to local authorities' prevention/relief activities in 2009-10 were published last August at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessprevention200910
	Figures prior to 2009-10 are not available on a comparable basis.
	It is for local authorities to decide how best they use their powers to determine whether a homeless household is found to be intentionally homeless and not in priority need.
	This Government takes homelessness very seriously, and that is why we are maintaining investment in homelessness grant at £100 million a year for each of the next four years to support local authorities and the voluntary sector in their work to tackle homelessness. This includes £10 million over the next two years for Crisis to help single people access and sustain private rented sector accommodation.
	In addition, I established a cross-Government Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness to address the complex causes of homelessness and improve support for homeless people.
	This Department has not taken any specific steps to encourage local authorities to use their powers under Section 192(3) of the Housing Act 1996 to offer accommodation to homeless households who are found to be not in priority need; and has not made any assessment of the cost to the public purse of health, education and policing services arising from local authorities not using such powers.

King Edward's Memorial Park

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will issue a temporary measure under the green areas designation initiative for King Edward's Memorial Park in Shadwell.

Bob Neill: The Natural Environment White Paper published on 7 June said we will consult later this year on proposals for a new green areas designation for use in local and neighbourhood plans.

Local Government Finance

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to provide funding to local authorities for the purposes of enabling a council tax freeze for the (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15 financial years.

Bob Neill: We have provided additional funding to local councils to freeze council tax for a year from April 2011, saving a typical family up to £72 on a band D home. The funding for the one-year freeze will continue over the spending review period to prevent council tax from shooting up next year, keeping down council tax and locking in that yearly saving for families over the period.
	Thanks to this funding, households will benefit from lower council tax bills than would otherwise be the case in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Mayors: Referendums

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how long on average he expects a local authority to take to transfer from a leader and executive model to the shadow mayor model under the provisions of the Localism Bill;
	(2)  for what period of time a shadow mayor will be required to be in post before a confirmatory referendum is held under provisions in the Localism Bill; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether his Department has made an estimate of the likely average salary of a mayor who assumes chief executive functions within a local council; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what information will be made available to local authorities on changing local governance arrangements in advance of their required move to the shadow mayor model.

Bob Neill: The committee considering the Localism Bill in the other place has agreed amendments, supported by the Government, which remove all provisions for shadow mayors and mayoral management arrangements.

Mayors: Referendums

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the effects of adoption of the elected mayor model on levels of public (a) recognition, (b) satisfaction and (c) engagement in (i) Hartlepool, (ii) Middlesbrough, (iii) Bedford and (iv) Doncaster; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Department's research paper, ‘The New Council Constitutions—The Outcomes and Impact of the Local Government Act 2000’, published in October 2007, includes an assessment of the effects of the adoption of the elected mayor model on the levels of public recognition, satisfaction and engagement.
	Numerous other non-governmental reports have also been published on these matters.

Mayors: Referendums

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that areas choosing a leader and executive governance model have access to similar powers and freedoms as areas choosing an elected mayor;
	(2)  what criteria he will use to determine whether an elected mayor outside the 12 largest cities in England will be granted the powers and freedoms granted to mayors of those cities; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  with reference to the Localism Bill: creating executive mayors in the 12 largest English cities: impact assessment, when his Department expects to complete its consideration of the powers and freedoms to be granted to elected mayors; and when the second impact assessment on shadow mayors will be published;
	(4)  what application process elected mayors outside the 12 largest English cities who wish to be granted additional powers and freedoms will be required to follow; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Institute for Government and Centre for Cities' report suggests mayors, particularly in our major cities, should have greater powers to promote economic growth including over issues such as transport and strategic planning. We are looking to each of the major cities to tell us the type of powers they would expect their mayor to have, and in our Structural Reform Plan we are committed to consult in September this year on mayoral powers. Our consideration of possible mayoral powers will include looking at their potential impact on the areas concerned, and at whether any such power might appropriately be given to other elected mayors outside the major cities, having regard to the circumstances of their local authority.

Mayors: Referendums

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when his Department expects to publish a draft recall mechanism for elected mayors; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Government are committed to bringing forward legislation to introduce a power to recall Members of Parliament where they have engaged in serious wrongdoing. We are currently considering what would be the fairest, most appropriate and robust procedure and we intend to make a statement soon setting out our plans to establish a recall mechanism.
	Once a recall system is introduced for Members of Parliament, we intend to consider possible recall mechanisms for other elected offices, including local authority elected mayors.

Mayors: Referendums

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings his Department has held with other Government departments to discuss the powers of elected mayors under the provisions of the Localism Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from other Departments to discuss a range of matters.

Mobile Homes

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made on his Department’s consultation on steps to protect park home owners.

Grant Shapps: On 10 February 2011, I announced a proposal to consult on a range of measures to improve the licensing regime which applies to park home and caravan sites so local authorities are better equipped and resourced to tackle problems of poor management in the sector and so better protect the health and safety of residents. I also announced that I plan to consult on improvements to the buying and selling process of park homes to prevent the unacceptable practice of the blocking of lawful sales by unscrupulous site owners and to provide an effective means of redress for residents where this happens. In May, myself and officials met key industry and resident partners, and officials met separately with local authority partners and representatives of holiday caravan owners, to help inform the consultation and gain a better understanding of the expectations and aspirations of our partners in this sector of the housing market. The Department plans to publish the consultation shortly.

Non-Domestic Rates: Third Sector

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future level of funding for local authorities to provide (a) mandatory and (b) discretionary business rate relief for (i) community amateur sports clubs and (ii) charitable community organisations.

Bob Neill: Central Government fully fund mandatory relief and part funds discretionary relief for Community Amateur Sports Clubs and charities. The Government support and value the role of mandatory and discretionary rate relief.

Quarrying: Kent

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to make a decision on the proposed westerly extension to Hermitage Quarry, Aylesford, Kent, reference TM10/2029, in Maidstone and The Weald constituency.

Bob Neill: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), is currently considering whether to call-in this planning application for his own consideration or to leave the decision with Kent county council. He hopes to make his decision by the end of July.

Social Services: Finance

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has met the Secretary of State for Health to discuss implications for local authorities of the forthcoming Dilnot Commission report.

Bob Neill: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from the Department for Health to discuss a range of matters.

Social Services: Finance

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will discuss with local authorities the allocation of additional funding provided for social care.

Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply.
	Officials and Ministers from the Department of Health have regular discussions with local authorities and representatives from local government on the spending review settlement for social care, and will continue to do so.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Departmental Buildings

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the address is of each office property occupied by her Department outside Greater London which it (a) owns and (b) rents; what the level of utilisation is of each such property; what the capital value is of each such property it owns; and what the (i) annual rental cost and (ii) length of lease agreement is of each rented property.

Damian Green: The Department is taking steps to reduce the size of its office estate to meet its future business needs and reduced staffing levels. Measures to deliver this include consolidation of accommodation across the Home Office group. Estate consolidations are under way in London, Croydon and Liverpool. In Croydon for instance buildings totalling 26,000 square metres were surrendered last December.
	Utilisation rates change regularly and are monitored by estates managers directly as part of estate rationalisation planning, rather than being centrally recorded. The disclosable details of the Department's estate outside Greater London taken from the estate database are provided in a table which has been placed in the House Library. The table provides the name of the building or function within its main town or nearest main town. This may comprise some individually leased or multiple spaces.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has any plans to generate low-carbon energy from its estate.

Damian Green: In the last financial year 45% of purchased electricity on the Home Office estate came from low or zero carbon renewable sources. We have no current plans to generate low carbon energy but, with our facilities managers, we are constantly reviewing the latest technologies against the potential of our assets to install such technologies.
	We have already implemented a programme of measures to reduce CO2 emissions as part of the Prime Minister's target to cut energy use by 10% across central Government in 12 months, including introducing a payment by results mechanism as an incentive for one of our facilities managers' suppliers to deliver energy and carbon savings.

Firearms: Licensing

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to discussing changes of fees for firearm and shotgun certificates with organisations representing firearms users and the gun trade.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office has sought and received some information from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on police costs in granting and renewing certificates which has been discussed with organisations representing firearms users and the gun trade. Further information is being sought and when this has been received the data will be analysed and we will hold discussions with all interested parties on the proposed new fee levels.

Metropolitan Police

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many positions in the Metropolitan Police Service are designated as police staff roles;
	(2)  how many police staff roles in the Metropolitan Police Service are occupied by police officers.

Nick Herbert: The requested information is not collected centrally in this form. Latest available figures published by the Home Office show that there were 32,900 police officers, 14,047 police staff and 4,387 police community support officers employed by the Metropolitan Police Service on 30 September 2010.
	These figures are on a full-time equivalent basis and exclude designated officers (section 38) and traffic wardens.

Metropolitan Police: Disability

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in the Metropolitan Police Service are (a) disabled and (b) placed on restricted duties.

Nick Herbert: Of the police officers in post in the Metropolitan Police Service on 31 March 2010, 184 were designated as disabled and 1,122 were placed on restricted duties.
	Disability is self-declared following the definition used in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This figure quoted is a full-time equivalent figure that has been rounded to the nearest whole number.
	Restricted duties are duties or conditions approved, other than for recuperative purposes, for fixed periods totalling more than 28 consecutive days (including rest days) for any officer who is unable for a specific reason to carry out one or more aspects of full operational duty. This figure quoted is a headcount figure.
	Data are unverified and provided on a provisional basis only.

Metropolitan Police: Manpower

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civilian staff are employed to assist the Metropolitan Police Service in the investigation of crimes.

Nick Herbert: Figures are not collected to show the total number of police staff employed in this role. Latest available data show the number of designated investigation officers (section 38) in post in the Metropolitan Police Service on 31 March 2010 was zero.
	Designated investigation officers are persons employed by the police authority who have been chosen by chief officers to exercise specified powers which would otherwise only be available to police officers. These and their designated police staff were introduced as part of the Police Reform Act 2002. Sections 38 and 39 of the Act enables the appropriate designation of skilled police staff to one or more of four roles: police community support officer, investigation officer, detention officer and escort officer.

Police: Accountability

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a police and crime commissioner will be authorised to appoint a civilian to the position of chief constable from May 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill currently restricts eligibility for appointment to the position of chief constable to persons already holding the office of constable. The Government have brought forward amendments to the Bill for consideration by the House of Lords on Report in that House. These amendments would extend the eligibility criteria by allowing a person who has previously held the office of constable to be appointed. This would mean, for example, that a retired chief constable would be eligible. A person who has not previously been a member of a police force (and therefore not held the office of constable) will continue to be ineligible.

CABINET OFFICE

Cancer

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the incidence of cancer was in each (a) constituency, (b) primary care trust area, (c) hospital trust area, (d) region and (e) social demographic group in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the incidence of cancer was in each (a) constituency, (b) primary care trust area, (c) hospital trust area, (d) region and (e) social demographic group in the most recent period for which figures are available.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2008. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
	The tables provide the number of newly diagnosed cases of cancer in each parliamentary constituency (Table 1), primary care organisation (Table 2) and region in England for the year 2008.
	Copies of Tables 1 and 2 have been placed in the House of Commons library. Table 3 is included in this answer.
	ONS does not publish figures on cancer incidence by hospital trust area or social demographic group. NHS hospital trusts are commissioned by primary care organisations to provide health services. Whilst primary care organisations have geographical boundaries, hospital trusts do not. Information on cancer incidence by social demographic group is not available, as this information is not routinely recorded on individual cancer registrations.
	The latest published figures on the incidence of cancer in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/mb1-39/mb1-no39-2008.pdf
	
		
			 Table 3. Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of cancer, persons, regions of England, 2008  (1, 2, 3) 
			 Region Cancer registrations 
			 North East 13,748 
			 North West 37,022 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 26,632 
			 East Midlands 23,681 
			 West Midlands 26,798 
			 East of England 29,270 
			 London 27,471 
			 South East 40,719 
		
	
	
		
			 South West 29,468 
			 (1) Cancer incidence is defined using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C00-C97 excluding code C44, non-melanoma skin cancer (2) Based on boundaries as of 2011. (3) Newly diagnosed cases registered in 2008.

Charity Commission: Manpower

Louise Ellman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the level of staff turnover was in the Charity Commission office in (a) London and (b) Liverpool in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission for England and Wales. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	Letter from Sam Younger, dated 4 July 2011
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question on what the level of staff turnover was in the Charity Commission office in (a) London and (b) Liverpool in each of the last 10 years.
	The figures are shown in the table below.
	The Charity Commission has not made anyone compulsorily redundant in the last 10 years. A number of people have left voluntarily via exit schemes under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. These are shown in the right-hand column and are a subset of the voluntary leavers.
	
		
			   Staff in post at start All leavers % turnover Voluntary compensated exits % turnover 
			        
			 2001/02 Liverpool 230 27 12 0 0 
			  London 175 48 27 0 0 
			        
			 2002/03 Liverpool 228 22 10 0 0 
			  London 171 31 18 0 0 
			        
			 2003/04 Liverpool 248 36 15 0 0 
			  London 170 35 21 0 0 
			        
			 2004/05 Liverpool 225 25 11 0 0 
			  London 169 37 22 0 0 
			        
			 2005/06 Liverpool 224 29 13 0 0 
			  London 160 32 20 1 1 
			        
			 2006/07 Liverpool 206 35 17 10 5 
			  London 145 39 27 4 3 
			        
			 2007/08 Liverpool 196 18 9 1 1 
			  London 134 26 19 7 5 
			        
			 2008/09 Liverpool 197 16 8 1 1 
			  London 127 35 28 12 9 
			        
			 2009/10 Liverpool 224 13 6 0 0 
			  London 116 22 19 1 1 
			        
		
	
	
		
			 2010/11 Liverpool 224 23 10 0 0 
			  London 116 20 17 1 1 
		
	
	I hope this information is helpful.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Steven Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much each Government Department contributed to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme in respect of (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11.

Francis Maude: The employer contributions received by the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme are in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Name 2009-10 2010-11 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 362,997,727.09 321,693,053.28 
			 Ministry of Defence 313,395,072.01 316,193,342.69 
			 Jobcentre Plus 286,934,847.85 289,702,842.28 
			 Prison Service 248,699,605.89 248,121,544.61 
			 Metropolitan Police (Civilian Staff) 113,786,972.71 116,267,435.98 
			 Home Office 111,875,807.75 142,385,375.91 
			 Department for Work and Pensions 69,094,668.63 71,348,233.14 
			 Ministry of Justice 67,011,085.67 68,821,199.18 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 55,615,387.16 55,801,400.75 
			 Scottish Government 46,339,660.40 46,824,546.37 
			 Disability and Carers Service 46,244,670.73 49,693,874.87 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 41,440,270.46 41,103,285.87 
			 Greater London Magistrates Courts Authority 41,303,009.11 39,595,119.18 
			 Welsh Assembly Government 35,518,651.39 34,970,326.14 
			 Government Communications HQ 35,121,088.29 35,784,428.60 
			 Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission 32,337,485.91 31,474,388.09 
			 Land Registry 30,662,996.56 28,015,906.27 
			 Health and Safety Executive 26,617,427.77 27,258,108.23 
			 Other (employers who contributed less than £25 million) 854,331,663.37 828,134,887.64 
			 Total 2,819,328,098.75 2,793,189,299.08

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has any plans to generate low-carbon energy from its estate.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office currently has no plans to generate low-carbon energy from its estate.

Jobseeker’s Allowance: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency who work less than 16 hours a week are receiving jobseeker’s allowance.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, date d  July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency who work less than 16 hours a week are receiving jobseeker’s allowance. (063531)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics on claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) from Jobcentre Plus administrative data, however this source does not provide information on the employment status of claimants.
	An alternative source of information for JSA claimants for local areas is the Annual Population Survey (APS), however this source does not have sufficient sample to provide estimates for working claimants in parliamentary constituencies.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Social Media

Julian Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department provides guidance to special advisers on the use of Twitter and other social media for the purposes of engaging in debate on matters of national controversy related to matters for which their Minister (a) has and (b) does not have responsibility.

Francis Maude: Standards of conduct set out in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code apply to all forms of official communication.
	Copies are available in the Library of the House and can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/special-advisers-code-of-conduct.pdf
	and the civil service website at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk

Unemployment: Graduates

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of graduates registered as unemployed in the first year after graduation remained unemployed for (a) six, (b) 12, (c) 18 and (d) 24 months in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of graduates registered as unemployed in the first year after graduation remained unemployed for (a) six, (b) 12, (c) 18 and (d) 24 months in the latest period for which figures are available. 63375
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of the proportion of graduates registered as unemployed in the first year after graduation and remaining unemployed are not available from the LFS.

Unemployment: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many young adults were unemployed for over 12 months in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last 18 months.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many young adults were unemployed for over 12 months in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last 18 months. (063691)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions; however estimates for young adults for this geography and duration are not available. As an alternative, counts based on claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) have been provided from administrative data.
	Table 1 shows the number of people aged 16 to 24 years who have been claiming JSA for more than 12 months within each parliamentary constituency in each of the last 18 months. As the information requested is quite extensive, a copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and JSA count are available on the Nomis website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

JUSTICE

Community Orders

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average number of hours of community service required by each order was in each probation service area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the average length of unpaid work requirements started by offenders in each probation area for the year 2010 (latest available). Unpaid work is the current term for what was previously known as community service.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Average length of unpaid work requirements started in 2010, by probation area and order type 
			 Hours 
			 Area Community order Suspended sentence order 
			 Avon and Somerset 89.7 131.5 
			 Bedfordshire 110.3 150.6 
			 Cambridgeshire 94.3 132.1 
			 Cheshire 106.1 156.8 
			 Teesside 96.1 138.1 
			 Cumbria 93.1 137.3 
			 Derbyshire 90.0 123.0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 111.5 140.9 
			 Dorset 98.3 134.1 
			 Durham 99.1 130.3 
			 Essex 89.4 129.9 
			 Gloucestershire 86.2 131.7 
			 Hampshire 101.8 137.1 
			 West Mercia 118.0 155.0 
			 Hertfordshire 95.3 128.2 
			 Humberside 104.2 143.3 
			 Kent 107.8 148.2 
			 Lancashire 92.3 127.5 
			 Leicestershire 97.5 117.6 
			 Lincolnshire 87.4 129.9 
			 Greater Manchester 118.5 149.4 
			 Merseyside 111.5 158.2 
			 Norfolk 98.6 127.0 
			 Northamptonshire 97.9 132.4 
			 Northumbria 90.1 127.5 
			 Nottinghamshire 97.1 129.0 
			 Thames Valley 126.2 153.3 
			 Staffordshire 94.0 142.5 
			 Suffolk 86.4 124.7 
			 Surrey 87.1 130.4 
			 West Sussex 104.8 145.8 
			 Warwickshire 81.2 116.8 
			 West Midlands 116.2 142.8 
			 Wiltshire 86.7 119.9 
			 North Yorkshire 97.2 139.1 
			 South Yorkshire 95.0 134.3 
			 West Yorkshire 117.1 152.3 
			 Dyfed-Powys 98.5 136.6 
			 Gwent 105.9 147.0 
			 North Wales 109.7 164.4 
			 South Wales 106.6 146.3 
			 London 115.0 144.8 
			    
			 England and Wales 104.4 140.8

Community Orders

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of offenders were given community service orders in each probation service area in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: The tables show the number of offenders starting community and suspended sentence orders with unpaid work requirements attached (and the proportions of total orders) for the years 2008 to 2010 (latest available).
	Unpaid work is the current term for what was previously known as community service.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Offenders starting community orders and suspended sentence orders with unpaid work attached in each of the last three years in each probation area, with proportion of all orders started 
			  2008 
			  Community orders with unpaid work Percentage of all community orders Suspended sentence orders with unpaid work Percentage of all suspended sentence orders 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,397 51 384 46 
			 Bedfordshire 728 63 181 52 
			 Cambridgeshire 942 61 364 51 
			 Cheshire 1,336 58 319 41 
			 Teesside 948 43 268 35 
			 Cumbria 885 63 213 57 
			 Derbyshire 1,189 52 474 45 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,199 58 364 47 
			 Dorset 574 50 202 41 
			 Durham 752 44 259 41 
			 Essex 1,948 58 490 42 
			 Gloucestershire 452 40 150 41 
			 Hampshire 2,238 56 629 47 
			 West Mercia 1,120 53 372 50 
			 Hertfordshire 1,027 50 267 43 
			 Humberside 1,185 56 454 46 
			 Kent 1,977 66 620 51 
			 Lancashire 1,693 40 553 35 
			 Leicestershire 1,132 54 428 44 
			 Lincolnshire 568 46 175 36 
			 Greater Manchester 4,408 59 1,479 46 
			 Merseyside 1,993 48 642 43 
			 Norfolk 971 67 368 55 
			 Northamptonshire 639 47 182 38 
			 Northumbria 1,740 41 481 35 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,427 48 409 41 
			 Thames Valley 2,031 59 681 50 
			 Staffordshire 993 46 369 40 
			 Suffolk 714 62 235 48 
			 Surrey 877 59 241 49 
			 Sussex 1,586 60 537 52 
			 Warwickshire 533 53 128 49 
			 West Midlands 3,487 49 1,333 40 
			 Wiltshire 614 59 144 51 
			 North Yorkshire 908 60 229 46 
			 South Yorkshire 1,936 53 670 46 
			 West Yorkshire 3,361 50 656 50 
			 Dyfed-Powys 413 48 197 51 
			 Gwent 715 51 237 46 
			 North Wales 928 55 248 40 
			 South Wales 1,971 54 733 45 
			 London 9,245 59 3,220 49 
			      
			 England and Wales 64,780 54 20,585 45 
		
	
	
		
			  2009 
			  Community orders with unpaid work Percentage of all community orders Suspended sentence orders with unpaid work Percentage of all suspended sentence orders 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,561 53 407 42 
			 Bedfordshire 790 66 199 56 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,022 67 433 60 
			 Cheshire 1,313 56 302 42 
			 Teesside 828 36 256 33 
			 Cumbria 724 59 194 53 
			 Derbyshire 1,303 57 502 54 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,271 58 429 48 
		
	
	
		
			 Dorset 564 48 183 40 
			 Durham 494 30 165 26 
			 Essex 2,164 62 662 48 
			 Gloucestershire 423 39 120 38 
			 Hampshire 2,002 51 453 42 
			 West Mercia 1,295 57 479 56 
			 Hertfordshire 961 48 294 42 
			 Humberside 1,210 55 433 44 
			 Kent 2,191 69 650 56 
			 Lancashire 1,724 41 527 35 
			 Leicestershire 991 53 409 42 
			 Lincolnshire 625 53 228 49 
			 Greater Manchester 4,425 58 1,471 48 
			 Merseyside 2,125 53 676 47 
			 Norfolk 996 68 334 53 
			 Northamptonshire 763 60 244 48 
			 Northumbria 1,591 38 584 37 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,552 51 480 48 
			 Thames Valley 1,908 61 697 55 
			 Staffordshire 1,010 48 400 45 
			 Suffolk 737 59 240 48 
			 Surrey 1,022 61 255 51 
			 Sussex 1,538 55 486 50 
			 Warwickshire 641 58 155 52 
			 West Midlands 3,987 53 1,731 46 
			 Wiltshire 599 56 114 49 
			 North Yorkshire 1,040 62 265 54 
			 South Yorkshire 2,168 57 717 50 
			 West Yorkshire 3,718 53 793 50 
			 Dyfed-Powys 475 50 153 46 
			 Gwent 717 51 286 52 
			 North Wales 1,012 58 322 46 
			 South Wales 1,953 52 787 50 
			 London 9,613 61 3,884 53 
			      
			 England and Wales 67,046 55 22,399 48 
		
	
	
		
			  2010 
			  Community orders with unpaid work Percentage of all community orders Suspended sentence orders with unpaid work Percentage of all suspended sentence orders 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,575 54 485 47 
			 Bedfordshire 712 65 260 59 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,064 68 413 57 
			 Cheshire 1,242 57 339 44 
			 Teesside 719 33 232 31 
			 Cumbria 690 57 171 48 
			 Derbyshire 1,140 55 515 53 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,099 52 426 54 
			 Dorset 507 48 201 44 
			 Durham 593 35 229 34 
			 Essex 2,045 62 691 51 
			 Gloucestershire 377 40 133 41 
			 Hampshire 1,950 48 592 44 
			 West Mercia 1,086 53 380 52 
			 Hertfordshire 958 47 347 44 
			 Humberside 1,191 53 472 46 
			 Kent 1,995 66 632 53 
			 Lancashire 1,682 41 654 38 
			 Leicestershire 1,089 57 430 48 
			 Lincolnshire 629 52 201 45 
			 Greater Manchester 4,467 56 1,551 50 
			 Merseyside 1,853 54 775 48 
		
	
	
		
			 Norfolk 1,043 70 373 55 
			 Northamptonshire 800 59 278 49 
			 Northumbria 1,571 39 515 37 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,611 53 549 48 
			 Thames Valley 1,998 62 772 58 
			 Staffordshire 1,124 50 466 55 
			 Suffolk 588 54 236 49 
			 Surrey 806 58 252 56 
			 Sussex 1,546 55 517 53 
			 Warwickshire 566 58 155 52 
			 West Midlands 3,555 54 1,776 50 
			 Wiltshire 529 52 121 48 
			 North Yorkshire 951 60 230 52 
			 South Yorkshire 2,083 57 737 52 
			 West Yorkshire 3,618 53 1,126 59 
			 Dyfed-Powys 437 51 149 48 
			 Gwent 753 57 308 56 
			 North Wales 958 54 356 53 
			 South Wales 1,999 53 948 52 
			 London 9,465 62 4,164 57 
			      
			 England and Wales 64,664 54 24,157 50

Community Orders

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget was for the administration of community service orders in each probation service area in each of the last four years; and what he expects those budgets to be in each of the next four years.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has not previously collected such historical information and to do so now would involve surveying every trust; the cost of doing this would be disproportionate.
	NOMS is developing systems to break down current expenditure on a service by service basis. Once the information has been reviewed and validated we will then consider how best to use it to meet commitments under the Government's transparency agenda.
	The future funding for the provision of community payback is currently subject to competition, thus future budgets will be dependent on negotiated contract bid prices, which are yet to be determined.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has any plans to generate low-carbon energy from its estate.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has plans to generate low carbon energy from its estate which we can export to the grid. In association with Partnerships for Renewables the National Offender Management Service's planning application for wind energy generation at Standford Hill on the Isle of Sheppey, was approved in May 2011. Partnerships for Renewables will discharge the planning conditions for this project during 2011-12 with site preparation and construction scheduled for early 2013.
	The Ministry of Justice also has plans to generate low carbon energy from its estate for on site consumption. HM Courts and Tribunals Service are piloting photovoltaics at two sites: Leeds Combined Court Centre and Aberystwyth Law Courts.
	The National Archives at Kew recently installed a CHP (combined heat and power) plant to generate low carbon electricity on-site.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to his Department and its predecessors was of the provision of ministerial cars in each financial year between 2000-01 and 2010-11; how many (a) cars for the exclusive use of Ministers and (b) ministerial car journeys were paid for by his Department in each such year; what the average cost to his Department of a ministerial car journey was in each such year; and what steps his Department has taken to reduce the cost of ministerial cars since his appointment.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) was established on 9 May 2007, its predecessor was the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA).
	Information on the number and cost of ministerial cars is published in the Secretary of State for Transport's annual written ministerial statement, details of which can be found within the Libraries of both Houses using the links provided at the end of this answer. The requested data for the Department are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Department Year Number  of cars Cost (£) 
			 MOJ 2009-10 4 320,429.90 
			 MOJ 2008-09 5 310,600.00 
		
	
	
		
			 MOJ 2007-08 4 307,900.00 
			 DCA 2006-07 5 339,000.00 
			 DCA 2005-06 5 293,400.00 
		
	
	Details of the costs for 2010-11 are being compiled and due for release in July 2011. Information prior to 2005 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information relating to individual ministerial car journeys prior to September 2010 is not available as there was no requirement to collect these data.
	In September 2010, in order to make savings, the MOJ transferred from allocated ministerial cars to a system of on-demand bookings for individual car journeys. The vast majority of these journeys are home-to-work and work-to-home journeys, where Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State are able to work on restricted papers from their ministerial red boxes.
	Ministers are otherwise encouraged to walk or take public transport during the working day.
	Information relating to the number of ministerial car journeys made since the introduction of the ‘on-demand’ ministerial car service on 6 September 2010 and up until 31 March 2011 is included in the following table:
	
		
			 Period Jobs 
			 2010  
			 September 78 
			 October 103 
			 November 126 
			 December 75 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 91 
			 February 90 
			 March 120 
			 Total: 683 
		
	
	Links to D F T written ministerial statements:
	2005/06:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0004.htm
	2006/07:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0004.htm
	2007/08:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080722/wmstext/80722m0008.htm
	2008/09:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090716/wmstext/90716m0009.htm
	2009/10:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/hammond20101028a.html

Homicide: Finance

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to announce the organisations which have been successful in bidding for funding from the 2011-12 Homicide Fund.

Crispin Blunt: Details of the organisations which were successful in bidding for funding from the 2011-12 Homicide Fund were published on the Ministry of Justice website on 30 June.

Legal Aid

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid in legal aid to Jeffrey Samuels QC in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested is not readily available. We are compiling the information and will write to the hon. Member. A copy of the letter will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Legal Aid

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the response to his consultation on Reform of Legal Aid from (a) the Armed Forces Criminal Legal Aid Authority, (b) the National Audit Office, (c) the NHS Litigation Authority, (d) the Social Entitlement Chamber of the First Tier Tribunals and (e) each other Government Department.

Jonathan Djanogly: The items requested at (a) to (d) will shortly be placed in the Library. No formal responses from other Government Departments were received.

Legal Aid: Iraq

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 179W, on legal aid: Iraq, in respect of how many cases relating to alleged abuse of Iraqi citizens by UK armed forces legal aid is being provided to persons not resident in the UK.

Jonathan Djanogly: As I stated in my answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 179W, the Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not specifically record cases under the category of ‘abuse by the UK armed forces’. In addition, the LSC cannot provide information on the number of legal aid applicants non-resident in the UK without incurring disproportionate cost.

Missing Persons: Death

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to align the law of England and Wales with that of Scotland and Northern Ireland in regard to presumption of death where a person has been missing for a significant period.

Jonathan Djanogly: At this time Government have no plans to make changes in this area. However, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Runaway and Missing Adults and Children is currently carrying out research in this area. We will carefully consider any recommendations that they may make as a result of their work.

Offenders: Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assistance the National Offender Management Service has provided to probation trusts in respect of bidding for unpaid work during the tendering process.

Crispin Blunt: NOMS has encouraged probation trusts to seek NOMS/MOJ advice on the contractual models that they are developing. In addition, NOMS/MOJ will work with probation trusts to provide feedback and further advice to those probation trusts that have been accepted as ‘prime’ bidders for lots 2-6. This advice and information is outside of the formal bidding process, and care is taken to ensure that an ‘ethical wall’ is in place in order to ensure a fair approach for all bidders.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which (a) third sector organisations, (b) charities, (c) private companies and (d) other organisations are working in prisons to support prisoner rehabilitation; and how many prisoners are so supported.

Crispin Blunt: Management information held centrally indicates that there are at least 245 voluntary and community sector organisations, social enterprises and charities which support the rehabilitation of offenders in prisons, and 79 private sector organisations supporting rehabilitation activities in prison.
	The National Offender Management Service does not collect any other data on “other organisations” involved with supporting prisoner rehabilitation activities.
	In addition there will be other types of support provided to offenders, the details of which are not collated centrally and so any comprehensive lists of organisations and statistical information on the numbers of prisoners undertaking interventions in support of their rehabilitation could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Open Prisons: Crime

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offences were committed by offenders serving a prison sentence in an open prison in the latest period for which figures are available; what the offence was in each case; and in which open prison each such offender was serving.

Crispin Blunt: There are approximately 3,700 incidents reported annually in open prisons and prisons with an open element. These are reported on the HM Prison Service Incident Reporting System. However not all of these relate to a criminal offence; some relate to breaches of prison discipline while other types of incident include those connected with security or self-harm.
	In order to provide data relating to the number of criminal offences committed by offenders serving a sentence in an open prison it would be necessary to manually examine each of these 3,700 records which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service: Contracts

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons his Department is considering for market testing; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: I will provide the hon. Member with a reply as soon as possible.
	Substantive answer from Crispin Blunt to Helen Jones:
	The Ministry of Justice is currently developing the Offender Services Competition Strategy in line with commitments in the ‘Breaking the Cycle’ Green Paper and the Ministry of Justice business plan. The strategy will set out how competition will be used within Offender Services and outline a timetable for competition in this period. The strategy will be published later this year.

Prisoners’ Release

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the payment by results pilots in reducing the demand for his Department's services.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice set out plans to design and commission at least six payment by results pilots in the December 2010 Green Paper ‘Breaking the Cycle’.
	The first payment by results pilot was launched in September 2010, the Social Impact Bond at HMP Peterborough. Other pilots have been agreed and will commence shortly. This includes pilot local approaches to reduce demand for criminal justice services in London and Manchester and a pilot at HMP Doncaster that will aim to reduce the reoffending of released offenders. The formal start date of these pilots is due to be July 2011 and October 2011 respectively.
	As sufficient offenders have not yet passed through the scheme, it is too early to assess of the effectiveness of the Social Impact Bond in reducing demand for offender services. A report by RAND Europe on the set up of the HMP Peterborough pilot was published last month and an interim report on the first cohort of offenders through the pilot is expected in 2014.

Prisoners: Literacy

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will commission research into the reading ability of prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: There are no current plans to commission research into the reading ability of prisoners.
	However, in 2010 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, working closely together with the Ministry of Justice, did commission a scoping study to explore the feasibility of undertaking a survey of prisoners and offenders in the community to examine their literacy and numeracy levels. The study concluded that while it would be possible to measure the skills levels of adult custody and community offenders as well as young offenders in custody, robustly sampling young offenders in the community would be difficult.
	Neither the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills nor the Ministry of Justice currently have funding set aside to undertake a basic skills survey of offenders in the current financial year. However, this work will be considered against other policy priorities in future research-planning rounds.

Prisoners: Literacy

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to improve the literacy levels of prisoners.

Crispin Blunt: The MOJ and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills recently published “Making Prisons Work: Skills for Rehabilitation” on 18 May, setting out our reform programme for offender learning. Although our intention is to focus an intensive suite of vocational learning on the period in the run-up to release, we have committed to continuing to meet the literacy and numeracy needs of prisoners at the start of their sentences.
	These functional skills are important in enabling prisoners to address other needs that might otherwise prevent them beginning work or training. We are evaluating intensive literacy and numeracy provision and, subject to the outcome of that, plan to extend its use as a means of addressing the needs of those with shorter sentences.

Prisons: Employment

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the number of prisoners which undertake meaningful work; and in what types of jobs.

Crispin Blunt: Our latest estimate is that about 9,000 prisoners per day currently work in National Offender Management Service public sector prison industries in over 400 workshops, representing a wide range of activities including printing, furniture, textile manufacturing, laundries, engineering, contract services and land based activities.
	Prisons also partly run on prison labour. These activities include about 4,400 prisoners working in catering and picking and packing services. In addition significant numbers of prisoners are involved in areas such as cleaning but, as these jobs are local to each prison, numbers are not collated centrally.

Sentencing: Drugs

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people received a custodial sentence for drugs offences in (a) Worcestershire and (b) Redditch in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Persons sentenced to immediate custody for all drug offences in selected Local Justice Areas, 2006 to 2010, can be viewed in the table. Please note that local justice areas may include more than one magistrates court.
	
		
			 Number of persons sentenced to immediate custody for all drugs offences, in selected local justice areas  (1)  , 2006-10  (2, 3) 
			 Local justice area and Crown court 2006 2007 2008 2009  (4) 2010 
			 South Worcester LJA 4 5 2 2 2 
			 Bromsgrove and Redditch LJA 1 5 3 1 5 
			 Kidderminster LJA 5 2 2 1 — 
			 Worcester Crown court 59 48 95 81 68 
			 (1) May include more than one magistrates court. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Revisions have been made to 2009 figures to account for the late receipt of a small number of court records. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Sentencing: Drugs

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people received (a) immediate custodial sentences and (b) other disposals in respect of drugs supply offences in Hertfordshire in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Persons sentenced to immediate custody and other sentences for supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug in Hertfordshire police force area, 2006 to 2010, can be viewed in the tables.
	
		
			 Persons sentenced   to   immediate custody and other sentences for supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug, in Hertfordshire police   force area, 2006-  10  (1,2,3) 
			  2006 
			 Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences 
			 Hertfordshire    
			 Supply 83 37 46 
			 Possession with intent to supply 66 41 25 
			     
			 England and Wales    
			 Supply 3,639 2,366 1,273 
			 Possession with intent to supply 5,044 3,031 2,013 
		
	
	
		
			  2007 
			 Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences 
			 Hertfordshire    
			 Supply 61 30 31 
			 Possession with intent to supply 79 29 50 
			     
			 England and Wales    
			 Supply 3,496 2,215 1,281 
			 Possession with intent to supply 5,514 3,168 2,346 
		
	
	
		
			  2008 
			 Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences 
			 Hertfordshire    
			 Supply 76 42 34 
			 Possession with intent to supply 102 53 49 
			     
			 England and Wales    
			 Supply 3,950 2,538 1,412 
		
	
	
		
			 Possession with intent to supply 6,421 3,693 2,728 
		
	
	
		
			  200  9  (4) 
			 Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences 
			 Hertfordshire    
			 Supply 80 50 30 
			 Possession with intent to supply 111 55 56 
			     
			 England and Wales    
			 Supply 3,792 2,453 1,339 
			 Possession with intent to supply 6,394 3,701 2,693 
		
	
	
		
			  2010 
			 Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences 
			 Hertfordshire    
			 Supply 56 21 35 
			 Possession with intent to supply 154 68 86 
			     
			 England and Wales    
			 Supply 3,798 2,373 1,425 
			 Possession with intent to supply 7,271 3,842 3,429 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Cannabis was re-classified to a class B drug on 26 January 2009. (4) Revisions have been made to 2009 figures to account for the late receipt of a small number of court records. Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: United Nations

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security of United Nations personnel in Afghanistan.

William Hague: Primary responsibility for assessment of the security situation of UN personnel in Afghanistan is with the United Nations. However, the security managers at the British embassy in Kabul routinely share information about security threats with the UN. Additionally we often offer assistance with transportation to UN personnel travelling to Helmand, where the UN has no security staff.

Balkans

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff of his Department are working in (a) Kosovo and (b) the western Balkans.

David Lidington: The following table gives the approximate number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office employees at each post in the western Balkans, including Kosovo, for the fourth quarter of financial year 2010-11. These figures include UK-based civil servants and staff employed locally. They are rounded up to the nearest five.
	Albania, Tirana: 30
	Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo: 35
	Croatia, Zagreb: 30
	Kosovo, Pristina: 40
	Macedonia, Skopje: 30
	Montenegro, Podgorica: 10
	Serbia, Belgrade: 70.
	The following post has five or fewer FCO employees:
	Bosnia and Herzegovina, Banja Luka.

British Nationals Abroad: Italy

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with its Italian counterpart on the rights of UK citizens teaching in universities in Italy.

David Lidington: The Government continue to take their duty to uphold the principles central to the EU single market very seriously. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised this issue with Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, in April. I also raised it with Franco Frattini on my visit to Italy last month.
	We continue to lobby the Italian Government hard on this issue, at ministerial level and through the British embassy, but the Government's response to date has been that it is the responsibility of the Italian universities to seek a resolution. The Italian universities have said that they cannot resolve this issue without help from the Government.
	We will continue to do all that we can to lobby the Italian Government to seek a resolution. While we are unable to get involved in Italian legal proceedings, we are nevertheless fully supportive of the British lecturers' cause.

British Nationals Abroad: Ransom

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 603W, on British nationals abroad: ransom, whether the payment of a ransom which is paid in whole or in part to a proscribed terrorist organisation constitutes an illegal act in UK law.

Alistair Burt: The payment of a ransom in whole or in part to a proscribed terrorist organisation is an illegal act in UK law. The Terrorism Act (TACT) 2000 provides criminal penalties for offences relating to fundraising or using or possessing money or other property for the purposes of terrorism (set out in sections 15 to 18 of TACT), including providing money that will be used for the purposes of terrorism. This includes, but is not limited to, any resources of a proscribed organisation. The potential penalties for an individual who is guilty of such an offence are set out in sections 22 to 23 of TACT.

British Overseas Territories: Carbon Emissions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the carbon footprint of British Overseas Territories.

Henry Bellingham: Responsibility for this issue is devolved to the Governments of the Overseas Territories. However the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is working with the Department for Energy and Climate Change to ensure support to the Overseas Territories, in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprints. Funding from the joint FCO-Department for International Development and Overseas Territories Environment Programme has been used in support of renewable energy initiatives. I raised this issue during the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in November last year, to which all the leaders and premiers from the Overseas Territories were invited.

Capita

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) monetary value and (b) net worth was of each contract.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not awarded any contracts within the UK to Capita since May 2010.
	As budgets in the FCO are devolved to over 260 posts overseas and details of their contracts are not held centrally, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Chen Guangcheng

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he raised the treatment of Chen Guangcheng during the visit to the UK of the Prime Minister of China; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: During his summit discussions with Premier Wen, the Prime Minister raised his concerns about human rights in China. In doing so he mentioned a number of high profile individual cases. No subjects were off limits.
	We remain concerned about the treatment of Chen Guangcheng and his family. We continue to monitor his situation and are working with EU partners to maintain the profile of his case.

China: Diplomatic Service

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of diplomatic staff in China work in (a) trade, (b) human rights and (c) general diplomatic roles.

Alistair Burt: The following table gives the approximate number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office employees at each post in mainland China and Hong Kong for the fourth quarter of financial year 2010-11. These figures include UK-based civil servants and staff employed locally.
	
		
			   Approximate n  umber 
			 China Beijing 190 
			  Chongqing 35 
			  Guangzhou 60 
			  Shanghai 60 
			  Hong Kong 100 
			 Note: Posts with fewer than 100 staff are rounded up to the nearest 5 and those with 100 or more are rounded up to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	For operational and security reasons, we cannot provide a more detailed breakdown.

China: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he raised the issue of the one child policy during the visit to the UK of the Prime Minister of China; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: During his summit discussions with Premier Wen, the Prime Minister raised his concerns about human rights in China. No subjects were off limits.
	We do not dispute China's right or need to implement family planning policies but we do believe they should be based on principles of consent and not coercion, and in line with international human rights standards.
	My right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Warsi raised China's population policy earlier this year in a meeting with Madame Uyunqimg, vice-chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Council of Europe: Finance

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what budgets have been set for each institution of the Council of Europe in the next three years; and what contribution will be required from the UK.

David Lidington: Negotiations are ongoing among Council of Europe member states over the budget beyond 2011.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has any plans to generate low-carbon energy from its estate.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) plans to install a tri-generation heat, cooling and power plant in our headquarters in King Charles street. Gas will be burnt in the plant to generate electricity. The by-product heat will supply both domestic hot water and, via a heat exchanger, cooling to the on-site data-centre.
	The FCO also plans to use the solar hot water technology on our new ICT building at Hanslope Park.
	Our Wilton Park Executive agency has already installed a biomass boiler, using woodchip biomass from its grounds.
	To identify all low carbon energy generation on the overseas estate would entail disproportionate cost. However, a number of overseas Posts have installed solar hot water heaters to supply domestic hot water and some use photovoltaic solar panels to generate electricity.

Departmental Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how much has been spent on travel in respect of (a) each of his Department's Executive agencies and (b) the chief executive of each such agency since May 2010;
	(2)  how much each executive agency of his Department has spent on travel by (a) private hire vehicles, (b) trains, (c) buses, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010.

David Lidington: FCO Services is a Trading Fund of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). FCO Services provides secure services on a global scale to the FCO, other Government Departments and other international governments and institutions. This involves sending security cleared staff to various locations around the world to work in sensitive and restricted environments. Due to the global nature of the work, the majority of travel spend is on commercial flights. FCO Services spent the following since May 2010 to March 2011:
	
		
			 FCO Services 
			  £ 
			 Private hire 167,685 
			 Trains 286,376 
			 Buses — 
			 Commercial aircraft 4,449,400 
			 Private aircraft — 
			 Total 4,903,461 
		
	
	The cost of flights within FCO Services has reduced from approximately £5.6 million in 2008-09. The chief executive of FCO Services spent no money on air, rail or private hire vehicles since May 2010 but claimed £2,168 in mileage expenses.
	Wilton Park is a forum for democracy building, post-conflict reconciliation and international dialogue. Between May 2010 and March 2011 Wilton Park spent the following on travel:
	
		
			 Wilton Park 
			  £ 
			 Private hire 3,075 
			 Trains 10,128 
			 Buses — 
			 Commercial aircraft 12,324 
			 Private aircraft — 
		
	
	
		
			 Total 25,527 
		
	
	The chief executive spent £9,608 on travel included in this figure.

Egypt

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the situation in Egypt.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 28 June 2011
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, is in regular contact with Secretary of State Clinton on a wide range of middle east issues. They met during President Obama's state visit to the UK to discuss developments in the region.

Egypt

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Egyptian Supreme Military Council on the process of transition from military to civilian rule in Egypt.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 28 June 2011
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visited Egypt on 2 May and met Field Marshall Tantawi, Head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. He emphasized the importance of pluralistic parliamentary elections and raised his concerns about the dangers of extremism and sectarianism. He also encouraged reform to create the right environment for investors to return to Egypt. I visited Egypt from 9-11 March to develop the relationship with current and prospective political figures and to offer UK expertise to tackle the challenges of political, economic and security sector reform.
	Our embassy is in close contact with the Egyptian authorities, the opposition and activists to support the transition, including through initiatives under the Arab Partnership. These include work with the media on its role in elections, and parliamentary capacity building.

Fair Trials International

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding his Department has provided for Fair Trials International in the last five years.

Alistair Burt: In the last five years, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has provided Fair Trials International with funding for two projects (to the value of £6,000 and £15,000). These have been designed to help British nationals in detention abroad access the best possible range of support.

Greece: Asylum

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Greek Government on the condition of detention facilities for asylum seekers in Greece.

David Lidington: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, is not planning to make representations to the Greek Government. The issue of detention centres is sometimes discussed with Greece at EU Justice and Home Affairs Council discussions, most recently in autumn 2010. The UK also raised the issue in its intervention at the UN Human Rights Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Greece in Geneva on 9 May 2011.
	The UK participates actively in European Union efforts to assist Greece to strengthen its migration and asylum procedures through the effective implementation of its 'National Action Plan for Migration Management'. This support includes the secondment of UK experts to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) to help Greece improve its detention and reception facilities.

Iran: Religious Freedom

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the ability of each religious community in Iran to (a) exercise its faith, (b) to observe its (i) holidays and (ii) weekly day of rest and (c) to administer its internal affairs; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We continue be concerned by the state sponsored persecution of a number of religious minorities in Iran. Although several religions are “protected” in the Iranian constitution, in practice they are still monitored closely and frequently put under pressure because of the way they observe their faith. We are further concerned by the persecution of non-“protected” religions, including the Baha'is, and frequently call on the Iranian authorities to cease all persecution of minorities in Iran.
	According to the website of the Iranian Ministry of Labour, religious minorities may not replace Fridays with their weekly day of rest and non-Islamic holidays are not legally counted as state holidays.

Iran: Satellites

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effects on the middle east peace process of the recent launch by Iran of a Rassad-1 satellite; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We have noted the recent space launch under taken by Iran with concern. Much of the technology used in this space launch is similar to that used to develop ballistic missiles. Under UNSCR 1929 Iran is prohibited from undertaking activity relating to ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear payload, and from launches using ballistic missile technology.
	We remain concerned that Iran continues to develop missile technology with the clear intention of extending the range of its missiles.
	Incidents such as this highlight Israel's very real security needs and only encourage Israel to look inward, instead of engaging on the middle east peace process. We see negotiations towards a two state solution as the best way to meet the national aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians and lead to a sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state living in peace and security alongside a safe and secure Israel and their other neighbours in the region.

Libya

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of international intervention in Libya on (a) Gaddafi military strength, (b) the ability of Libyan rebels to engage and defeat Gaddafi forces and (c) safety of civilians; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The goal of the international coalition is to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack, in accordance with UNSCR 1973. Action undertaken to date has steadily reduced Gaddafi’s ability to launch and sustain attacks on his own people and has prevented a massacre of civilians, particularly in Benghazi. Opposition forces are pushing Gaddafi’s forces back and have also been able to protect the cities of Benghazi and Misratah from further attack. Coalition action to implement UNSCR 1973 will continue for as long as attacks against the civilian population of Libya persist.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Ministers of his Department have met Ministerial colleagues in (a) the Department for International Development and (b) the Ministry of Defence to discuss post-conflict planning in Libya.

William Hague: I regularly meet with my ministerial colleagues including those in the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence to discuss Libya, both bilaterally and in the National Security Council.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether officials of his Department involved in post-conflict planning in Libya have discussed the task with officials involved in post-conflict planning after the invasion of (a) Afghanistan in 2001 and (b) Iraq in 2003.

William Hague: The Government place great importance on building on the lessons learned from previous conflicts, including Afghanistan and Iraq. The tri-departmental Stabilisation Unit leads on capturing and disseminating these lessons and has been engaged proactively in cross-Government discussions on stabilisation planning in Libya.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on NATO's compliance with UN Security Council resolutions relating to Libya; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office regularly receives correspondence from Members of Parliament and members of the public about NATO's compliance with UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. NATO is implementing the UNSCR effectively, using all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian areas from attack.

Libya: Military Aid

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which other Governments have committed resources to military action in Libya to date; what the nature of these resources are; whether these resources represent (a) an ongoing and (b) a completed commitment; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: 18 nations are contributing aircraft, maritime assets or personnel to the region under UNSCR 1973. They are the US, UK, France, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Netherlands, Canada, Qatar, Turkey, Greece, U.A.E, Sweden, Jordan, Bulgaria and Romania.

Maldives: Inward Investment

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of the Maldives on promoting inward investment in the Maldives; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has had no recent discussions with the Government of the Maldives on promoting inward investment.
	The UK enjoys a strong relationship with the Maldives and the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), met the Maldives high commissioner on 24 May, when he discussed a range of bilateral issues and assistance.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay will receive a substantive response to the letter of 14 April 2011 on the Arms Export Licensing Review.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not receive the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay's letter of 14 April. We have now received an electronic copy from the hon. Member's constituency office and will be replying as soon as possible.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the firing of mortars and Qassam rockets into southern Israel from Gaza on 22 June 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Our embassy in Tel Aviv monitors rocket attacks on Israel closely. As we have consistently made clear all such attacks should stop. We are aware of one Qassam and one mortar shell fired into Southern Israel, neither caused harm or damage.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, has made clear our concerns about the violence in Gaza and southern Israel following a spike in rocket attacks and military strikes in early April 2011. We are pleased that relative calm has returned to Gaza and Southern Israel more recently, but continue to monitor the situation closely.
	We have made clear to the Government of Israel that while Israel has every right to protect its people, it is also important that in so doing it also shows restraint and makes every effort to avoid causing civilian casualties.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the outcome of attempts to destroy tunnels used to smuggle weapons into Gaza since March 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are aware that there have been attempts to destroy the tunnels in Gaza. The UK recognises that Israel has legitimate security concerns that must continue to be safeguarded, and believes efforts to maintain security while enabling movement and access for Palestinian people and goods are critical.
	We remain clear that the situation in Gaza is both a tragedy and unsustainable. While there is no humanitarian crisis, there is an enduring need for humanitarian aid. We have also been clear that actions by both Israel and Hamas have contributed to this situation. Working closely with the EU and Quartet, we continue to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access and enable a return to economic normality.
	Israel's decision to move from a list of 120 permitted goods to a list of specific prohibited items was a positive step. However there has been no fundamental change in the crossings regime and economic stagnation and de-development in Gaza remain the norm. We are clear that more needs to be done, particularly to enable exports, accelerate key imports for reconstruction and ensure free movement of people. Without economic growth in Gaza, there is a risk of fostering a more broadly radicalised environment. An improved economy and a resurgence of Gaza's pragmatic business fraternity are not only essential for the people of Gaza, but are also firmly in Israel's security interests.

National Security Council

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the membership is of the Emerging Powers Sub-Committee of the National Security Council.

William Hague: The membership of the Emerging Powers Sub-Committee of the NSC is:
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Chair)
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department
	The Secretary of State for Defence
	The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
	The Secretary of State for International Development
	The Chief Secretary to the Treasury
	Minister for Government Policy, Cabinet Office
	Minister of State (Mr Browne), Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	Minister of State for Security and Counter-Terrorism, Home Office

National Security Council

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates the Emerging Powers Sub-Committee of the National Security Council has met.

William Hague: The Emerging Powers Sub-Committee of the NSC has met six times to date. The dates of these meetings were:
	1 November 2010
	14 December 2010
	2 February 2011
	27 April 2011
	9 May 2011
	13 June 2011

Pakistan: China

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of relations between Pakistan and China.

William Hague: China and Pakistan enjoy a strong relationship. Prime Minister Gilani visited China in May to mark the 60th anniversary of Chinese recognition of Pakistan. We understand the two countries agreed further strengthening of the relationship through enhanced economic and trade relations and increased co-operation on energy.

Pakistan: Politics and Government

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Balochistan.

William Hague: The Government of Pakistan face a difficult law and order situation in Balochistan where it has to tackle diverse militant and criminal threats. 737 attacks, including 614 by nationalist insurgents, were reported across Balochistan in 2010, claiming the lives of over 600 people.
	The UK regularly engages with the Government of Pakistan and the provincial government on matters of security, rule of law and human rights in Balochistan. Officials also meet representatives of the Baloch and Pashtun communities and political parties. We continue to press the Government of Pakistan to implement measures designed to address the causes of instability in Balochistan. In particular, the UK would like to see full implementation of the reform package for Balochistan announced by the Government of Pakistan in November 2009.

Saudi Arabia: Religious Freedom

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the ability of each religious community in Saudi Arabia to (a) exercise its faith, (b) to observe its (i) holidays and (ii) weekly day of rest and (c) to administer its internal affairs; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Saudi Arabia is a country in which Islamic law is strictly enforced. The public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is illegal, as is an intention to convert others. The Saudi authorities do, however, accept the private practice of religions other than Islam, and visitors may bring a Bible into the country as long as it is for their personal use. Small private services are tolerated.
	The Saudi working week is from Saturday to Wednesday and no provision is made in Saudi Arabia for non-Muslim religious holidays or days of rest. The ability for people to observe them will depend on their employers.
	As all other religions are officially not allowed in Saudi Arabia, other religious communities are not able to operate in public, administer joint bank accounts, or interact with the Saudi Government as anything other than individuals.
	UK embassies and high commissions have a responsibility to monitor and raise human rights issues in their host countries. Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff routinely raise our concerns with host Governments and where possible they take action on individual cases and push for changes in unfair practices and laws.

Syria: Foreign Relations

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the hon. Member for Braintree and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury was representing the Government at his recent meeting with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

Alistair Burt: The Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty's Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Braintree (Mr Newmark), travelled to Syria in a private capacity where he met President Assad. He told President Assad that international pressure on Syria will only increase if it continues on its current course. Given that only a change of course in Syria will bring about an end to the violence we should welcome contacts that reinforce the need for urgent change.

UN Security Council

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the African Union on UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, discussed the situation in Libya at the South Africa Foreign Minister at the bilateral summit on 9 June.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development, and the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham) recently had a series of meetings with African Union Heads of State, Government and Foreign Ministers in the margins of the Summit at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with neighbouring African states the recent statement by Zimbabwean Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba that the military and the ruling party in Zimbabwe are inseparable; and if he will press those states to take further action to assist the population of Zimbabwe.

Henry Bellingham: Statements such as this are very concerning. For Zimbabwe to make progress and move forward as a democratic country, it is vital that the military stays independent of all political parties and does not interfere in an impartial election process.
	However, we do not intend to raise this issue further with regional states at this time. We were encouraged by the communiqué following the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Sandton, which re-emphasised the importance of free and fair elections under conditions of a level playing field. As guarantor of the Global Political Agreement, SADC has an important role to play in helping Zimbabwe to make progress towards such elections. We will continue to do all we can to support that role.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carer's Allowance

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to introduce a carer’s allowance in respect of those diagnosed with cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: Carer’s allowance exists for carers who provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. Carers who look after people diagnosed with cancer are eligible to claim carer’s allowance if they satisfy the conditions of entitlement for the benefit.
	The Government have no plans to change these arrangements.

Child: Maintenance

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what powers the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has to identify the whereabouts of absent fathers who (a) regularly travel to and from the UK, (b) have recently been in prison and (c) have been granted asylum in the UK.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what powers the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has to identify the whereabouts of absent fathers who (a) regularly travel to and from the UK (b) have recently been in prison and (c) have been granted asylum in the UK.
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (the Commission) has jurisdiction, i.e. legal authority, to make a maintenance calculation and collect child support maintenance only when the parent with care, the non-resident parent and the qualifying child are all habitually resident in the United Kingdom (UK). Habitual residence is a legal concept which means more than simply 'where you live'. A person can habitually reside in more than one country or in none. Habitual residence can continue during an absence from the UK.
	In instances where we have jurisdiction, the Commission can use its information seeking powers enshrined in child support legislation(1) to identify and trace the non-resident parent. Caseworkers can use a range of tools to trace non-resident parents; For example our Common Enquiry Service enables caseworkers to consider information from Income Support; Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance/Maternity Allowance; Working Families Tax Credits and Job Seekers Allowance systems. If the Caseworker is unable to locate a non-resident parent using the Common Enquiry Service, they will use a system that provides links to credit reference agency data. Caseworkers can also approach the HM Revenue and Customs to request a search on their tax and other databases.
	Although, the powers to obtain information to identify and trace a non-resident are now given to the Commission, it is the Child Support Agency (the operating arms of the Commission) that currently exercises them.
	Whilst not powers specifically, relating to tracing non-resident parents, the Commission also has further powers to require information to be provided from a range of people or organisations that either have the information in their possession or can reasonably be expected to obtain it. These include powers to require information to be provided from:
	The parties to the case, i.e., the parent with care and the non-resident parent;
	An alleged parent that has denied parentage of a child;
	Employers;
	Companies or partnerships;
	Accountants;
	Court officials;
	Crown employees;
	The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA);
	Any Agency of the Department for Work and Pensions;
	Local authorities;
	Deposit takers—including banks and building societies; and
	Gas and electricity providers.
	We presently do not have arrangements in place for tracking non-resident parents who travel into and out of the UK.
	Where we have evidence that the non-resident parent in question is in prison or has recently been in prison the Commission can make a referral to the Prison Service to access its database to trace the whereabouts of the non-resident parent.
	Non-resident parents who have been granted asylum in the UK are considered to be legally resident. The Commission can therefore use its powers to trace and identify them for child maintenance purposes as it does any other non-resident parent.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	(1) Section 4 of the Child Support Act 1991 and regulation 3 (1)a of the Child Support Information Regulations 2008 (SI 2008 No. 2551 refer)

Community Care Grants

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultation his Department undertook in respect of his proposals on (a) community care grants and (b) crisis loans.

Chris Grayling: The December 2010 White Paper ‘Universal Credit: welfare that works’ set out the Government's reform plans for the Social Fund. In February 2011 we published a call for evidence, ‘Local support to replace Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for living expenses’, aimed at local authorities, welfare rights organisations and other customer representative groups, and individuals. It focused on how the new service might be delivered in England.
	We published a detailed response to the call for evidence on 23 June, which is available in the library and can be accessed on the Department for Work and Pensions website at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2011/local-support-replace-ccg-cl.shtml

Employment and Support Allowance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultation he has undertaken on his proposals for the introduction of a 12-month time limit on entitlement to a single element of employment and support allowance.

Chris Grayling: Since this measure was announced as part of the spending review in October, both Ministers and officials have met with a number of representatives from organisations representing disabled people, such as Macmillan Cancer Support, Disability Alliance, Citizens Advice, Mind and Scope.
	The Department values the views of disability groups and is committed to engaging with organisations such as these on an ongoing basis as part of our wider consultation on the implications of our proposals for welfare reform to ensure that the social security system supports disabled people and those with health conditions in the most sensitive, fair and appropriate way.

Housing Benefit

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether people with large numbers of children are to be considered as having exceptional circumstances in respect of the proposed annual cap on housing benefit payments;
	(2)  whether people living in central London are to be considered as having exceptional circumstances in respect of the proposed cap on annual housing benefit payments;
	(3)  under which exceptional circumstances he proposes that benefit claimants will be able to receive a payment higher than the annual housing benefit cap.

Steve Webb: We are introducing a cap on the total amount of benefit a household can claim because we do not believe that it is fair that people can receive more in benefits from the state than hard-working, low-income families.
	We have already said that we will exclude from the overall benefit cap:
	Households with someone in receipt of working tax credit, increasing the incentive to find employment;
	Households which include someone, including a child, receiving disability living allowance or constant attendance allowance, recognising the extra costs they face;
	War widows and widowers.
	We are looking at ways of easing the transition for families and providing assistance in hard cases and will set out details later in the year. Our aim will be to balance fairness, affordability and work incentives.

Personal Independence Payment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received (a) against and (b) in favour of the proposed qualifying period for the personal independence payment.

Maria Miller: Personal independence payment is intended to support people with long-term health conditions or disabilities. A qualifying period of six months helps us achieve this. When taken together with the six month prospective test, the six month qualifying period brings our definition of long-term disability closer in line with that from the Equality Act 2010. As now, people will not always have to wait six months before being paid personal independence payment if some, or all, of the qualifying period has been satisfied by the time they submit their claim.
	We have received a number of representations on the proposed qualifying period, in the form of responses to our consultation. Some organisations were in favour of our proposals regarding the qualifying period and the fact that it would align with the definition of long-term disability. Others argued against the proposal on the grounds that some health conditions and impairments, such as cancer, have a sudden onset and individuals incur extra costs very soon after diagnosis. The Government's response to the consultation on disability living allowance reform (Cm 8051) includes some representations from organisations on this issue. The document is available in the House of Commons Library.
	My officials and I have met, and continue to meet, disabled people and a large number of disability organisations to discuss our proposals for personal independence payment, including the qualifying period.

Personal Independence Payment

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to make his Department’s consultation on assessment regulations and criteria for the proposed personal independence payment accessible to those who have difficulty reading; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: We published an initial draft of our proposals for the assessment criteria for personal independence payment on 9 May, in the form of draft regulations and a supporting technical note. We are now carrying out an informal consultation on the criteria, to hear views from disabled people and their organisations on how well the criteria will work and if they can be improved.
	Under the Equality Act we are required to make reasonable adjustments to ensure the documents are accessible for all those who would like to read them. We are providing several alternative formats of both these documents, including Braille, audio and large print versions, making them accessible to individuals who have difficulty reading. We are also producing an easy read and British Sign Language versions of the technical note on the criteria, which will be available as soon as possible. We will happily take comments on the draft criteria up until 31 August, four weeks after our original deadline.
	To help explain our proposals and seek views on these, my officials have also met with over 30 disability organisations to date, and will be holding two workshops with over 20 Scottish disability organisations in early July. We will continue to meet with other organisations throughout the summer.
	We are also currently testing the initial criteria. Our aim is to publish a further draft of the assessment criteria in the autumn, which builds on the findings from the testing and the feedback from disability organisations.

Personal Independence Payment

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to accommodate demand for face-to-face meetings outside London as part of his Department's consultation on assessment regulations and criteria for the proposed personal independence payment; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many face-to-face meetings his Department has undertaken as part of its consultation on proposals for a personal independence payment since the consultation began; and how many of those meetings involved people from Scotland.

Maria Miller: Throughout the development of the new personal independence payment, which will replace disability living allowance, we have had extensive face to face discussions and consultation with disabled people, their families and organisations representing all parts of the United Kingdom including Scotland. The insight of organisations such as MS Society Scotland, Citizens Advice Scotland, Glasgow Association for Mental Health, Tayside Deaf Forum and the Coalition of Carers in Scotland has been immensely valuable.
	We are absolutely committed to developing the detail of the assessment for the benefit in an open and transparent manner. This is why we have published our initial proposals for the criteria on 9 May and why we are consulting informally on them over the summer. We want to hear views from disabled people and their organisations on how well the criteria will work and if they can be improved.
	As part of this informal consultation on the draft assessment criteria, my officials have already met with over 30 disability organisations, including a number based outside of London, and will continue to meet with others throughout the summer. They are holding two workshops in early July in Edinburgh which will be attended by over 20 Scottish disability organisations.
	Our aim is to publish a further draft of the assessment criteria in the autumn, which builds on the findings from the testing and the feedback from disability organisations.

State Retirement Pensions

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people receiving the basic state pension and previously resident abroad have returned to take up permanent residence in the UK in each of the last five years; and how many such people were returning from (a) EU countries, (b) countries where a reciprocal agreement on pensions is in place and (c) countries where the British basic state pension is not indexed in each such year.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many women in Leicester South constituency, born between 6 December 1953 and 5 October 1954, will be required to wait an additional 18 months to claim a state pension under his plans to accelerate the change in the state pension age;
	(2)  how many women from Leicester South constituency, born between 6 March 1954 and 5 April 1954, will be required to wait an additional two years before claiming a state pension under his plans to accelerate the change in the state pension age.

Steve Webb: We estimate that in Leicester South constituency there are approximately 387 women born between 6 December 1953 and 5 October 1954, who will have an increase in state pension age of 18 months or more. Of these approximately 42 women, born between 6 March 1954 and 5 April 1954, will have an increase in their state pension age of two years.

Universal Credit

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funding his Department plans to provide for advice on benefits during the transitional period to universal credit; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: We understand the vital importance of keeping claimants informed about how the benefits system is changing during the transition process, and are currently considering options for fulfilling that need.

Universal Credit

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that people who suffer a serious accident are not disadvantaged under his Department's proposals for the introduction of a universal credit.

Chris Grayling: Where a claimant is assessed as having limited capability for work, perhaps through a serious accident, the calculation of universal credit will include an additional element equivalent to the work-related activity component in employment and support allowance. Where a claimant is assessed as having limited capability for work-related activity as well as limited capability for work, there will be an element that is higher than the support component currently paid to this group in employment and support allowance.

Working Tax Credit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support he plans to provide to couples who do not work for an additional eight hours but who wish to remain in work after the implementation of the increase in the working hours qualification for couples with children to claim working tax credit.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	Under the current tax credits system, couples with children can claim the working tax credit, if one partner works 16 hours. Lone parents must work at least 16 hours to qualify for the working tax credit. This change makes the system fairer by reducing the disparity in the number of hours which lone parents and couples are obliged to work.
	The changes to tax credits need to be considered within the wider context of other changes which the Government have introduced to help low income working families, such as the increase in the level of the personal allowance and the above-indexation increases to the child tax credit.

Working Tax Credit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the average amount of (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit that will no longer be paid to couples who do not work sufficient additional hours to claim working tax credit when the working hours qualification increases from 16 to 24 hours;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of couples who will be affected by the increase in the working hours qualification for couples with children claiming working tax credit;
	(3)  how many households where one adult is disabled will be affected by the increase in the working hours qualification for couples with children claiming working tax credit.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	The measures referred to in these questions are part of a range of reforms to the tax credits system announced at the spending review.
	Estimating the number of households impacted by an individual measure does not give a clear indication of the full monetary impact on an individual household.
	The Government published estimates of the distributional impact of the packages of announced tax and benefit measures which can be found at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_annexa.pdf
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_annexb.pdf

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his most recent estimate is of the number of unregistered voters in (a) the UK and (b) each region of the UK.

Mark Harper: The Government do not hold this information. The Electoral Commission's March 2010 report on the “Completeness and Accuracy of Electoral Registers in Great Britain” makes clear that the process of estimating registration rates is an
	“imprecise science”
	and says that
	“all current approaches to estimating the completeness and accuracy of the electoral registers at a national level are imperfect”.
	However, the Cabinet Office is funding the Electoral Commission to carry out research to provide a robust national measure of completeness and accuracy of the registers. The research will also provide some data on different demographic breakdowns. The study will report towards the end of 2011.
	The Commission will be conducting further research which will check the registers against the census, and this will provide data on detailed demographic breakdowns. This study is expected to report in 2013.

Electoral Systems

Meg Munn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to improve the administration of elections for the purposes of ensuring consistency in the provision of services to voters.

Mark Harper: All those involved in the administration of elections should provide a service that puts the elector first. The legislation governing the administration of elections and the Electoral Commission's accompanying guidance provide a platform from which Returning Officers can provide services to electors in a consistent manner. There can also be local factors that affect how elections are delivered and allowing some discretion to Returning Officers can be beneficial. We will continue to consider the arrangements for the delivery of elections to support voters' experience at the polls.

Falkland Islands

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he had any discussions on the Falkland Islands during his recent visit to Brazil.

Nicholas Clegg: I discussed the Falkland Islands with Brazilian Foreign Minister Patriota in the course of wide-ranging talks. I made clear the British Government's longstanding and deeply held view that we have no doubts about our sovereignty over the Islands and that the Falkland Islanders' right to determine their own political future is paramount.

Voting Rights: Prisoners

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2011, Official Report, column 428W, on voting rights: prisoners, whether he plans to inform the House of Commons of his policy on the legislative measures he plans to introduce on extending the franchise to prisoners prior to providing an update to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering the next steps and the House will be the first to be informed when decisions on the way forward have been reached.

Voting Rights: Prisoners

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many prisoners he expects will be enfranchised under his proposals for prisoner voting.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering the next steps and will inform the House when decisions on the way forward have been reached.

Voting Rights: Young people

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on Resolution 1826 (2011) of the Parliamentary Assembly for the Council of Europe on the expansion of democracy by lowering the voting age to 16.

Mark Harper: The Government have no current plans to lower the voting age, but will keep the issue under review.

DEFENCE

Christmas Island

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has evaluated on the effect on those present of the nuclear tests on Christmas Island.

Andrew Robathan: We closely monitor and evaluate any research undertaken world wide relating to nuclear test veterans.
	In response to potential health concerns raised by former service personnel in the UK, the Ministry of Defence commissioned the National Radiological Protection Board to study mortality and cancer incidence in nuclear test participants and compare it with service personnel who did not deploy, and the general population.
	The last of three studies, completed in 2003, concluded that overall levels of mortality and cancer incidence in nuclear test veterans have continued to be similar to those in a matched control group. Overall, mortality rates are lower than expected compared to the national average.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to publish the outcomes of his Department's arrangements for continuous review of the strategic defence and security review.

Liam Fox: Progress against the commitments made in the SDSR is set out in the monthly updates on the MOD’s business plan, which are published on the MOD’s website.

Defence Exports

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to promote defence exports.

Gerald Howarth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Filton and Bradley Stoke (Jack Lopresti) and my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Chris Skidmore).

Middle East and North Africa

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in the middle east and north Africa; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Redditch (Karen Lumley), the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West (Paul Uppal), and the hon. Member for Harlow (Robert Halfon).

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had on plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

Liam Fox: We routinely review UK force levels in Afghanistan and this is something that I regularly discuss with my National Security Council colleagues and military advisers.
	Future reductions in British forces will take into account the conditions on the ground, the advice of military commanders and be fully discussed at the National Security Council.

Armed Forces: Housing

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel changed residence as a result of service deployment in each of the last three years.

Andrew Robathan: The number of service personnel who have moved in and out of service family accommodation in the UK in each of the last three years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Calendar year Move ins Move outs 
			 2009 21,313 20,618 
			 2010 21,344 20,297 
			 2011 (to date) 9,097 9,124 
		
	
	Centrally maintained records do not allow us to differentiate between moves occurring as a result of an official service posting notice, at an individual's request, or through discharge from the services. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It is assumed, however, that the majority of moves will be related to postings.
	Moves in and out of private homes are not recorded by the Department.
	Data relating to single living accommodation are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Private Education

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish his Department’s guidance issued to recipients of the continuity education allowance on usage of the allowance.

Andrew Robathan: The guidance on the continuity of education allowance is provided in the Joint Service Publication 752 “Tri-Service Regulations for Allowances” which is published on the Defence intranet and is already widely available to the armed forces community. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

Defence Infrastructure Organisation: Manpower

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the number of people who will be employed by his Department's Defence Infrastructure Organisation in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Wales in 2014.

Andrew Robathan: Further to the announcements following the strategic defence and security review, it is currently not possible to identify the precise future location and numbers of people that will be employed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in 2014.

Departmental Billing

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many invoices received by his Department were paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value was of invoices paid late.

Andrew Robathan: In the period May 2010 to May 2011, the volumes paid by the Ministry of Defence in respect of UK invoices, and the monetary values of invoices not paid within 30 days, are as detailed in the following table.
	
		
			 MOD—All UK invoices 
			 Period Volume paid within 30 days Volume not paid within 30 days Value not paid within 30 days (£) 
			 2010    
			 May 370,880 637 5,779,921 
			 June 367,855 1,912 11,440,721 
			 July 398,474 1,117 20,389,483 
			 August 367,463 1,799 8,304,861 
			 September 344,140 1,806 28,239,978 
			 October 349,640 1,649 19,108,352 
			 November 370,701 2,562 6,050,466 
			 December 329,290 2,520 10,384,534 
			     
			 2011    
			 January 307,926 1,206 9,410,981 
			 February 364,158 2,222 22,468,243 
			 March 404,811 1,'300 12,576,213 
			 April 359,314 514 3,304,904 
			 May 370,316 592 9,229,080

Ministerial Posts

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department requires two Permanent Under-Secretaries.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 27 June 2011
	The Secretary of State for Defence published Lord Levene’s report into the structure and management of the Ministry of Defence on 27 June, and endorsed its recommendations. Those recommendations reduce the number of senior military and civilian posts in the Department. However, Lord Levene recommended retaining the Second Permanent Secretary post—and the Vice Chief of Defence Staff post—on the basis that, without them, the loading and span of control on the Permanent Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Staff would be unsustainable. Recognising the amount of change the Department will be embarking on, Lord Levene also recommended that we take stock of progress after about two years and consider whether the proposed structure and role of the Head Office, including the requirement, role and seniority of both the Second Permanent Secretary and the Vice Chief of Defence Staff remain valid.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of near cash spending levels for (a) Navy Command, (b) Land Forces, (c) Air Command, (d) Defence Estates and (e) Defence Equipment and Support in each of the next four financial years.

Liam Fox: The planned spending levels for Navy Command, Land Forces, Air Command, Defence Estates and Defence Equipment and Support in each of the next three financial years are provided in the following table. Figures have not been provided for 2015-16 as this falls outside the current spending review settlement.
	The Department will review planned spending for the period in question and beyond as part of its routine planning round 12 process. This will take into account the outcome of a range of work under way, including the three-month exercise.
	
		
			 Total departmental expenditure limit 
			 £ million 
			  2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 Navy Command 2,166 2,106 2,060 
			 Land Forces 6,587 6,588 6,670 
			 Air Command 2,559 2,450 2,440 
			 Defence Infrastructure Organisation 3,552 3,208 3,005 
			 Defence Equipment and Support Operating Budget 1,166 1,085 1,035 
			 Note: The figures in the table do not include planned spend on equipment procurement and equipment support. These costs are normally assigned in the annual report and accounts to the Defence Equipment and Support top level budget.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efficiency savings he expects each top level budget holder in his Department to make in each of the next four financial years.

Liam Fox: As I made clear in the statement I made on 27 June 2011, Official Report, columns 634-36, on the report by Lord Levene, I am committed to achieving further efficiencies in the Ministry of Defence through a range of measures. Top level budget holders have not been allocated specific efficiency targets but they will be responsible for delivering many of these measures, which will realise significant efficiency savings across the spending review period.

Departmental Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much each Executive agency of his Department has spent on travel by (a) private hire vehicles, (b) trains, (c) buses, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: Information on travel expenditure in the categories requested is shown in the following table. The figures represent the cost incurred between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011 unless otherwise stated.
	
		
			   £ 
			 Agency Agency headcount (March 2011) Private hire vehicles Trains Buses Commercial aircraft Private aircraft 
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory 3,780 1,874,488 902,857 159,596 2,814,234 0 
			 Defence Support Group 3,010 915,000 26,000 (1)— 226,000 0 
			 Defence Vetting Agency 420 14,400 26,183 (1)— 7,092 0 
			 Met Office 1,860 315,948 485,838 (1)— 591,733 0 
			 MOD Police and Guarding Agency(2) 7,320 662,288 107,784 (1)— 174,096 0 
			 People, Pay and Pensions Agency 880 57,574 67,494 (1)— 17,719 0 
			 Service Children’s Education 1,120 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Service Personnel and Veterans Agency 960 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 UK Hydrographic Office 1,000 102,000 73,000 0 955,000 0 
			 (1) Not separately identifiable. (2) Period covered is financial year 2010-11 (1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011). 
		
	
	Staff are asked to avoid travelling where the business need can be met in other ways, such as by e-mail and video conferencing. This both saves cost and increases the productivity of staff by reducing time spent travelling. Where travelling is unavoidable, staff must do so in a way that is most economical in both money and official time.

Departmental Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on travel in respect of (a) each of his Department’s Executive agencies and (b) the chief executive of each such agency since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: Expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Defence’s Executive agencies on travel and subsistence since May 2010 is shown in the following table. The figures cover expenditure on air travel, rail travel, car rental, use of a private vehicle on official duty, public transport fares, overnight accommodation, subsistence and travel-related costs such as parking charges and road tolls.
	
		
			 Agency Agency headcount  (March 2011) Total travel and subsistence expenditure (£) Travel and subsistence by the chief executive (£) 
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory 3,780 7,125,321 17,067 
			 Defence Support Group 3,010 2,325,000 (1)33,000 
			 Defence Vetting Agency 420 534,928 7,908 
			 Met Office 1,860 3,557,807 (2)9,626 
			 MOD Police and Guarding Agency(3) 7,320 944,169 2,443 
			 People, Pay and Pensions Agency 880 341,700 (4)6,773 
			 Service Children’s Education 1,120 1,556,018 (5)16,406 
			 Service Personnel and Veterans Agency 960 819,603 11,831 
			 UK Hydrographic Office 1,000 1,514,000 (6)69,000 
			 (1) DSG chief executive’s expenses reflect the cost of travelling between 14 DSG sites across the UK. (2) The figure disclosed also covers travel and subsistence incurred as the UK representative to the World Meteorological Organisation and other international bodies. (3) Figures are for financial year 2010-11. (4) The chief executive of PPPA’s travel costs also relates to his other Defence business services and next generation human resources responsibilities. (5) The chief executive is also the director for Children and Young People. The figure disclosed covers both roles. (6) The chief executive of UK Hydrographic Office’s costs also relate to his involvement with international hydrographic bodies. 
		
	
	The level of expenses incurred by individual agencies and chief executives is mainly influenced by the nature of their role, for example, the scale of their international commitments.

Ex-servicemen

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to increase the monitoring of the welfare of veterans.

Andrew Robathan: The welfare of veterans is the responsibility of Government as a whole and therefore many Departments are involved in its monitoring. The Armed Forces Covenant stresses the importance we place on ensuring that veterans are not disadvantaged as a result of their service in the armed forces. The proposed annual report to Parliament will highlight the progress that has been made and where there is scope for improvement.

Joint Force Command

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 27 June 2011, Official Report, columns 634-44, on defence reform, whether he has made an estimate of the number of injured service personnel who would be employed in the Joint Force Command; what roles such personnel would perform; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: All three services retain injured personnel, if they wish to stay, for as long as it is judged to be in the interest of the individual and the service. It is too early to estimate how many injured service personnel might be employed in Joint Force Command or what they might do.

NATO: Armed Forces

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British servicemen and women of each rank and duty are on secondment to NATO.

Gerald Howarth: The following table shows the total by rank of all the UK-assigned posts within NATO’s peacetime command structure and the complementary force structure. This includes inter alia multinational high-readiness force headquarters located overseas, centres of excellence, and similar organisations as well as UK personnel attached to NATO agencies. The figures exclude operational deployments, and the short-term augmentation of NATO structures, which are not normally recognised as secondments. The figures reflect contributions from all three services but for the sake of simplicity are expressed using Army rank equivalents.
	
		
			 Organisation NATO rank Army rank equivalent Total 
			 NATO force structure, agencies and other appointments OF-7 Major-General 2 
			  OF-6 Brigadier 3 
			  OF-5 Colonel 13 
			  OF-4 Lieutenant-Colonel 46 
			  OF-3 Major 26 
			  OF-2 Captain 5 
		
	
	
		
			  OR-9 Warrant Officer Class 1 2 
			  OR-8 Warrant Officer Class 2 7 
			  OR-7 Staff Sergeant 6 
			  OR-6 Sergeant 13 
			  OR-4 Corporal 2 
			  OR-3 Lance-Corporal 4 
			  OR-2 Private 1 
			 Sub-total   130 
			     
			 NATO command structure OF-9 General 1 
			  OF-8 Lieutenant-General 4 
			  OF-7 Major-General 7 
			  OF-6 Brigadier 4 
			  OF-5 Colonel 31 
			  OF-4 Lieutenant-Colonel 186 
			  OF-3 Major 134 
			  OF-2 Captain 44 
			  OR-9 Warrant Officer Class 1 33 
			  OR-8 Warrant Officer Class 2 38 
			  OR-7 Staff Sergeant 110 
			  OR-6 Sergeant 193 
			  OR-4 Corporal 81 
			  OR-3 Lance Corporal 10 
			  OR-2 Private 7 
			 Sub-total   883 
			 Total   1,013

Nuclear Submarines

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the number of warheads deployed on each Vanguard class submarine will be reduced to no more than 40; when the stockpile of operationally available warheads will be reduced to no more than 120; and when warheads which have been removed from the operation stockpile will be dismantled.

Liam Fox: I will write to the hon. Member.
	Substantive answer from Liam Fox to Caroline Lucas:
	I undertook to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Question on 20 December 2010 (Official Report, column 992W) about the timescales for the reduction in the number of operationally available warheads and their eventual dismantlement.
	I apologise for the delay in responding but it was necessary to undertake some work to implement the first stage of this process before I was in a position to respond to your question. In addition, can I draw your attention to the Statement I made on 29 June 2011 (Official Report, column 51 WS).
	The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) announced a reduction in the scale of the UK nuclear deterrent. The programme to implement the reductions in the number of deployed warheads has now commenced on our fleet of VANGUARD class ballistic missile submarines. On current estimates, the reduction in operationally available warheads will be completed within this Parliament. Our expectation is that the programme for dismantling warheads removed from the operational stockpile will be completed within the timeframe set by the SDSR of the mid 2020s.

Nuclear Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the logistics plan for implementing the reduction in nuclear weapons numbers announced in the strategic defence and security review to be completed; when it is intended to commence the return of warheads to the Atomic Weapons Establishment for decommissioning; and when the reduction in stockpile size will be complete.

Liam Fox: I will write to the hon. Member.
	Substantive answer from Liam Fox to Angus Robertson:
	I undertook to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Question on 23 March 2011 (Official Report, column 1125W) about the timescales for the reduction in the number of operationally available warheads and their eventual dismantlement.
	I apologise for the delay in responding but it was necessary to undertake some work to implement the first stage of this process before I was in a position to respond to your question. In addition, can I draw your attention to the Statement I made on 29 June 2011 (Official Report, column 51 WS).
	The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) announced a reduction in the scale of the UK nuclear deterrent. The programme to implement the reductions in the number of deployed warheads has now commenced on our fleet of VANGUARD class ballistic missile submarines. On current estimates, the reduction in operationally available warheads will be completed within this Parliament. Our expectation is that the programme for dismantling warheads removed from the operational stockpile will be completed within the timeframe set by the SDSR of the mid 2020s.

Nuclear Weapons

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alternatives his Department has considered to the nuclear deterrent.

Liam Fox: Prior to the publication of the 2006 White Paper, The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994), Ministry of Defence officials undertook a full review of the widest possible range of options to replace the UK's nuclear deterrent capability. A detailed assessment process to narrow the range of options under consideration to the four generic options reported in the White Paper was then used.
	The parliamentary debate on 14 March 2007, Official Report, columns 298-407, subsequently endorsed the conclusions made in the White Paper that the most cost-effective deterrent system was a further class of submarines carrying ballistic missiles.
	To support the agreement made in the Coalition programme for Government, that the Lib Dems will continue to make the case for alternatives, work is under way in the Cabinet Office to explore the costs, feasibility and credibility of alternative systems. This work will report to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in approximately 18 months time.

UN Security Council

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under which budget headings expenditure to date on enforcing UN Security Council Resolution 1973 has fallen; what estimate he has made of the future cost of military action; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: The budget headings against which the net additional costs for Operation Ellamy—the United Kingdom's contribution to coalition operations in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973—have been assigned to date are:
	Personnel
	Infrastructure
	Inventory/Other Consumption
	Equipment Support Costs
	Other Costs
	Depreciation
	Fiscal Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (CDEL).
	The current estimate of the net additional costs of military operations for six months in support of Operation Ellamy is in the region of £120 million. This excludes costs associated with capital munitions expended.
	Based upon current consumption rates we estimate the cost of replenishing munitions may be up to £140 million.
	The Treasury has agreed to meet these costs from the Reserve.

War Pensions: Tribunals

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) solicitors, (b) barristers, (c) experts and (d) other costs in respect of ionising appeals heard at the war pensions tribunals.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Thomas Docherty) on 2 December 2010, Official Report, column 998W. Up-to-date figures are currently being compiled and I will write to the hon. Member when this is complete.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to support alcohol and drug rehabilitation centres; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: In the Government's drug strategy, which we published in December 2010, we highlighted the need for local areas to build close links between residential rehabilitation and other services when commissioning support to help people recover from dependence on drugs and alcohol. In a series of initiatives funded by the Department, the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) has:
	allocated over £65 million since 2007-08 for capital projects to improve the provision of rehabilitation facilities;
	launched Rehab Online, a web-based directory of residential services in 2010; and
	held a series of regional events in 2011 to raise the profile of such services.
	Later this year, the NTA will be responding to the consultation on ‘Building Recovery in Communities’ by publishing updated advice on models of care for people dependent on drugs and alcohol.
	We are working with eight pilot sites to explore a payment by results scheme which will reward recovery from dependency and which will give good services a chance to demonstrate their capabilities.

Cord Blood

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to encourage mothers to donate stem cell blood from umbilical cords after childbirth;
	(2)  whether he has considered the merits of increasing the number of NHS hospitals where stem cell blood from umbilical cords can be collected as part of the cord blood bank.

Anne Milton: On 1 December 2010, the UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum, led by NHS Blood and Transplant produced a report, “The Future of Unrelated Donor Stem Cell Transplantation in the UK” (copies of which have already been placed in the Library). The report contained 20 recommendations to improve the provision and use of unrelated stem cells. The Department has allocated an additional £4 million in this financial year to begin the implementation of the report's recommendations.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has any plans to generate low-carbon energy from its estate.

Simon Burns: We currently have no immediate plans to generate low-carbon energy from the Department's estate. However the position will be kept under review.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to his Department was of the provision of ministerial cars in each financial year between 2000-01 and 2010-11; how many (a) cars for the exclusive use of Ministers and (b) ministerial car journeys were paid for by his Department in each such year; what the average cost to his Department of a ministerial car journey was in each such year; and what steps his Department has taken to reduce the cost of ministerial cars since his appointment.

Simon Burns: Information on the cost and number of ministerial cars is published annually by written ministerial statement, details of which have already been placed in the Library. This information can also be found at:
	2005-06:
	www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0004.htm
	2006-07:
	www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0004.htm
	2007-08:
	www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080722/wmstext/80722m0008.htm
	2008-09:
	www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090716/wmstext/90716m0009.htm
	2009-10:
	www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/hammond20101028a
	Details of the costs for 2010-11 are being compiled and are due for release in July 2011.
	Information prior to 2005 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information relating to individual ministerial car journeys prior to September 2010 is not available as there was no requirement to collect these data.
	Information relating to the number of ministerial car journeys made since the introduction of the ‘on-demand’ ministerial car service on 6 September 2010 and up until 31 March 2011 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Month and year Number of journeys 
			 2010  
			 September 67 
			 October 75 
			 November 105 
			 December 69 
			 2011  
			 January 83 
			 February 71 
			 March 122 
			 Total 592 
		
	
	Ministers are committed to using other forms of transport where practical, including public transport, while travelling on official Government business. In line with the new Ministerial Code, all Ministers at the Department have given up their allocated cars and drivers.

Health Services: Learning Disability

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the attendance by advocates or family members at strategy meetings for patients with severe learning disabilities.

Paul Burstow: It is Government policy that the public sector should work closely with family members, carers and advocates of people with severe learning disabilities. However, this policy does not prescribe which meetings they can and should attend which is a matter of professional judgement and of negotiation with the family and the advocates.

Maternity Services

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to the NHS on the (a) establishment, (b) role and remit and (c) relationship with existing neonatal networks of new maternity networks.

Anne Milton: In the White Paper “Excellence and Equity: Liberating the NHS” we made a commitment to extend maternity choice through maternity provider networks. We want provider networks to cover all the maternity services a mother may need throughout pregnancy, birth and post-natally, including arrangements to access services that may not be available locally, ensuring that the transitions between individual carers or organisations are as seamless as possible.
	In its report “Clinical advice and leadership”, 13 June, the NHS Future Forum recommended embedding networks at all levels of the new system with further work to define them and review their range, function and effectiveness. In the “Government response to the NHS Future Forum report”, 20 June, we agreed to retain and strengthen existing networks so that they cover many more areas of specialist care, and to give them a stronger role in commissioning in support of the NHS Commissioning Board and local clinical commissioning groups.
	Networks may look different in different geographical areas as they seek to meet local needs and circumstances. It will be for the providers to agree network arrangements, including links with neonatal networks, and any support or management structures that they might want to adopt, and to identify how these could be resourced including any efficiency gains that might cover the costs.

Mental Health Services

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the performance of emergency outreach teams for mental health based at (a) Fulbourn hospital and (b) other hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: It is not the role of the Department to assess the performance of individual clinical teams. This is a matter for local commissioners. However, nationally, Crisis Resolution Home Treatment teams, which deal with patients in need of urgent care, carried out 131,452 home treatments in 2010-11 and 127, 396 home treatments in 2009-10.

NHS: Pay

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the average hourly cost of employing a member of staff in the NHS.

Simon Burns: Comprehensive validated data to make this estimate are not held centrally.
	However, an estimate can be provided of the average paybill cost per full-time equivalent (FTE) member of staff in the Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) NHS work force. This does not include general practitioners or their practice staff.
	In 2009-10, the estimated average paybill per FTE member of staff in the HCHS work force was £39,000. This is the latest estimate available.
	This includes basic pay, additional earnings such as geographical allowances and payments for additional hours worked, employer national insurance contributions and employer pension contributions.
	Standard full-time hours are 40 hours per week for medical staff and 37.5 hours per week for non-medical staff on Agenda for Change contracts but, as the estimated paybill per FTE includes payments for additional hours worked, using these standard contract hours to convert the estimate provided into a value per hour would lead to an overestimate.

Ophthalmology

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to review the regulatory framework relating to premises used by opticians and optometrists and their equipment and facilities.

Simon Burns: There are no plans to review the regulatory framework requiring contractors to have suitable practice premises, equipment and facilities to enable them to provide national health service sight tests.
	Currently NHS primary care trusts hold contracts with providers of NHS sight tests. In future, we propose that the NHS Commissioning Board will hold contracts for the NHS sight testing service and we anticipate the requirement for suitable premises, equipment and facilities will remain.

Organs: Donors

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people (a) in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and (b) nationally are on the NHS organ donor register.

Anne Milton: As at 20 June 2011, 18,072 million people (29% of the United Kingdom population) are currently on the organ donor register, of whom 25,445 are from the South Basildon and East Thurrock area.

Organs: Donors

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency were assessed as needing an organ transplant in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The information is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 South Basildon and East Thurrock solid organ transplant statistics, by financial year 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Number on waiting list at the start of the year 12 11 8 8 7 7 
			 New recipient registrations 4 3 8 4 4 — 
			 Source: NHS Blood and Transplant

Organs: Donors

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) children and (b) adults in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency died while waiting for an organ transplant in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 South Basildon and East Thurrock solid organ transplant statistics, by financial year 
			  Died on the list  (1) 
			 2006-07 1 
			 2007-08 1 
			 2008-09 1 
			 2009-10 1 
			 2010-11 2 
			 2011-12 — 
			 (1) AII that died were adults (aged 18 or older). Source: NHS Blood and Transplant

Organs: Donors

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which schools in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency use NHS Blood and Transplant's Give and Let Live educational resource on organ donation.

Anne Milton: Three schools in the South Basildon and East Thurrock area have requested the Give and Let Live pack. These are:
	Hassenbrook School;
	Gable Hall School; and
	Basildon Upper Academy.

Prescription Drugs

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued for each (a) benzodiazepine and (b) z-drug tranquilliser in 2010-11.

Simon Burns: The number of prescription items dispensed, for the latest available 12 month period, is shown in the following tables. Data for the first quarter of 2011 are not currently available, therefore figures quoted are for the calendar year 2010.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of benzodiazepine prescription items written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England in the year 2010, classified as hypnotics and anxiolytics in British National Formulary (BNF) Section 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 
			 BNF chemical name Prescription items (thousand) 
			 Alprazolam (1)— 
			 Chlordiazepoxide Hydrochloride 213.9 
			 Diazepam 5,148.4 
			 Flurazepam Hydrochloride (1)— 
			 Loprazolam Mesilate 88.6 
			 Lorazepam 968.3 
			 Lormetazepam 60.5 
			 Nitrazepam 1,035.2 
			 Oxazepam 164.8 
			 Temazepam 2,814.0 
			 Total for BNF Section 4.1 10,493.7 
			 (1) Less than 50 prescription items dispensed. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of benzodiazepine prescription items written in the UK and dispensed in the community in England in the year 2010, classified as antiepileptic drugs in British National Formulary (BNF) section 4.8.1 
			 BNF chemical name Prescriptions items (thousand) 
			 Clobazam 185.8 
			 Clonazepam 629.1 
			 Midazolam 39.1 
			 Midazolam Hydrochloride (1) 0.3 
		
	
	
		
			 Total for BNF Section 4.8 854.3 
			 (1) Oromucosal Hydrochloride pre-filled syringes—a new classification from the second quarter of 2010. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Number of benzodiazepine prescription items written in the UK and dispensed in the community in England in the year 2010, classified as anaesthesia drugs in British National Formulary (BNF) section 15.1.4 
			 BNF chemical name Prescription items (thousand) 
			 Midazolam Hydrochloride 83.1 
			 Total for BNF Section 15.1 83.1 
			 Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 4. Number of “Z-drugs” prescription items written in the UK and dispensed in the community in England in the year 2010, classified as Antidepressant drugs in British National Formulary (BNF) section 4.1 
			 BNF Chemical name Number of items (thousand) 
			 Zaleplon 9.4 
			 Zolpidem Tartrate 733.0 
			 Zopiclone 5,295.8 
			 Total for “Z-drugs” 6,038.2 
			 Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason (a) patient groups and (b) charitable and not-for-profit groups were not consulted as part of the recent reviews by the National Addiction Centre and the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse on addiction to prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medicines.

Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 28 June 2011, Official Report, column 780W.

Radiotherapy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the implementation of the recommendations of the 2007 National Radiotherapy Advisory Group report in respect of (a) equality of access to treatment and (b) maximum travel times for cancer patients to receive radiotherapy treatment.

Paul Burstow: The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group (NRAG) report, “Radiotherapy: developing a world class service for England”, published in 2007, recommended that, in order to improve equality of access to treatment, there would need to be additional investment in staff and equipment and better use made of existing capacity. The NRAG report also recommended that, where possible, patients should not travel more than 45 minutes for radiotherapy treatment.
	We know that, whilst radiotherapy capacity has increased, demand has not increased at the rate previously predicted, and that there remain variations in activity across the country. “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer” sets out our commitment to improve equality of access to radiotherapy by investing over £150 million in additional funding over the next four years. This will support increased utilisation of existing equipment, establish new services to increase capacity in some areas and ensure that all high priority patients with a need for proton beam therapy treatment get access to it abroad.
	The “NHS Operating Framework 2011-12” states that the national health service is expected to implement the new cancer strategy and that commissioners should develop plans to ensure that local populations have appropriate access to radiotherapy treatment.

Respite Care: Finance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 252W, on carers: Hertfordshire, whether his Department monitors expenditure from carers' budgets to ensure that funding provided for respite breaks is spent for that purpose; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not formally monitor expenditure on respite breaks for carers.
	However, the ‘2011-12 NHS Operating Framework’, published on 15 December 2010, makes it clear that:
	“PCTs should pool budgets with local authorities to provide carers' breaks, as far as possible, via direct payments or personal health budgets. For 2011/12, PCTs should agree policies, plans and budgets to support carers with local authorities and local carers' organisations, and make them available to local people.”
	Strategic health authorities (SHAs) will remain accountable for operational delivery and for leading the transition across their region in 2011-12. They will hold primary care trusts (PCTs) to account for the delivery of the requirements set out in the NHS Operating Framework both in terms of service delivery and transition to the new arrangements.
	In order to support transparency and local accountability, the Department plans to seek written confirmation from all SHAs when plans have been published by PCTs on the specific areas outlined as a requirement in the Operating Framework, including services to support carers.

Social Services

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many local authorities have (a) changed and (b) given notice of a change to eligibility criteria for social care in the last six months;
	(2)  what steps his Department takes to monitor changes to local authority social care eligibility criteria.

Paul Burstow: There has been no change in the Department's long standing position that it does not formally monitor changes to local authority social care eligibility criteria. Allocations of resources at a local level is the responsibility of local authorities who are best placed to understand the needs of their community.
	Councils should use the framework set out in the guidance ‘Prioritising need in the context of Putting People First: A whole system approach to eligibility for social care’, to draw up local eligibility criteria. This is graded into four bands—critical; substantial; moderate and low. A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library.
	On 11 May 2011, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services published a survey that indicated that 13% (19) councils had changed their eligibility criteria between 2010-11 and 2011-12. According to the survey, there are now 78% (116) councils at substantial, 15% (22) at moderate, 3% (four) at low and 4% (six) at critical.

Social Services: Finance

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department takes to monitor whether the expenditure of funding allocated to local authorities for social care in 2011-12 (a) has been and (b) is to be spent on social care services; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding the NHS (a) provided for social care in 2010-11 and (b) plans to provide for social care in 2011-12; and what steps his Department plans to take to monitor whether such funding is spent as intended;
	(3)  how much of the funding for social care announced in the comprehensive spending review has been allocated to each local authority in England; and how much funding so allocated (a) has been spent and (b) is intended to be spent on social care provision.

Paul Burstow: The additional funding for social care has been allocated in two distinct ways, through formula grant to local authorities and from the national health service to local authorities.
	In 2011-12, an additional £530 million was allocated to local government in addition to existing departmental grants for social care. In order to support local flexibility and to reduce administrative burdens, this funding was allocated to local authorities through the local government formula grant. Formula grant is not hypothecated for different services and it is therefore not possible to determine how much of the additional funding through local government has been allocated for social care. However, we do receive local authorities’ budgeted spend on adult social care through the revenue accounts data returns in June of each year. These data are publicly available.
	In addition to funding through formula grant, the Government provided a specific allocation of £648 million to primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2011-12 for measures that support social care, which also benefit health. As part of our planning and assurance processes for 2011-12, we are holding strategic health authorities (SHA) to account for ensuring that arrangements are in place between local authorities and PCTs for the funding to be transferred and objectives for the investment agreed.
	Local authorities (LAs) and the NHS have been working together to agree how this funding should be best used to support social care services. NHS planning assurance showed that all SHAs had confirmed there were local plans in place to agree the transfer. We will continue to get information on the progress of the money as the NHS financial reporting year progresses.
	In addition to this funding, the Government allocated £150 million to PCTs in 2011-12 to develop local re-ablement services in the context of the post-discharge support plans submitted to SHAs last December. It is for PCTs and LAs locally to agree the plans for this funding.
	In 2010-11, by making efficiency savings to central programmes, the Department made available an extra £162 million to local health and care services to spend in 2010-11 on front-line services. In addition, £70 million was made available for re-ablement services in 2010-11.
	The breakdown of the £162 million 2010-11 and £648 million 2011-12 allocations to PCTs for social care can be found in the Library.

Tuberculosis: Drugs

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients (a) completed and (b) were unable to complete due to unavailability of drugs treatment for drug (i) susceptible and (ii) resistant tuberculosis in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The information is not available in the format requested. The latest available information on treatment completion for tuberculosis (TB), as collated by the Health Protection Agency, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number and proportion of TB cases completing treatment within 12 months, United Kingdom 2004-08 
			   Completed treatment 
			  Cases reported Number Percentage 
			 2004 6,903 5,464 79.2 
			 2005 7,566 5,976 79.0 
			 2006 7,917 6,266 79.1 
			 2007 8,068 6,524 80.9 
			 2008 8,152 6,618 81.2 
			 Notes: 1. TB surveillance data are currently available up to 2009. Because treatment outcomes are obtained 12 months after start of treatment, these are only currently available up to 2008.  2. Reasons for non-completion of treatment may include, for example, continuing treatment, the death of the patient (which is not necessarily related to TB) and loss to follow-up (including patients who have moved abroad).

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2011, Official Report, column 123W, on departmental carbon emissions, when he plans to explore the feasibility of generating low carbon energy on his departmental estate.

Gregory Barker: We are planning to explore the feasibility of generating low carbon energy from the DECC estate in the course of this financial year.

Carbon Emissions: Housing

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to the merits of including lighting and appliances in the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target.

Gregory Barker: A wide range of products and appliances have historically been eligible for delivery under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT). These include lighting measures such as CFLs and LED lighting; consumer electronics, such as some televisions and radios; domestic appliances, such as some fridges, microwaves and dishwashers; and other energy efficient products, such as shower regulators and real time displays. Following an earlier public consultation, the Government took action to exclude CFLs from the scheme as from 31 March this year. A further public consultation on the role of the remaining products and appliances closed in January. We are currently considering the evidence received and expect to publish a response to this consultation shortly.

Carbon Emissions: Northern Ireland

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the introduction of a carbon price floor on Northern Ireland energy producers who are part of the All Ireland Energy Market.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	The carbon price floor is a UK-wide policy, which will drive new investment in low-carbon technologies across the country.
	The Government had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive during the consultation and are continuing to work with Northern Ireland Executive to monitor potential interactions with the Single Electricity Market and Northern Ireland's commitment to higher levels of investment in renewable electricity generation.

Carbon Sequestration

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish his decision on the first carbon capture and storage project.

Charles Hendry: Negotiations with the Scottish Power consortium on the UK's first carbon capture and storage demonstration project are ongoing, with the aim of reaching an agreement as soon as possible.

Carbon Sequestration

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects a decision to be made on EU funding for UK carbon capture and storage projects.

Charles Hendry: EU funding for UK carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects will be provided through a funding mechanism financed from the sale of 300 million EU emissions allowances that are ring fenced in the new entrant reserve in phase 3 of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The process for selecting projects to benefit from the first tranche of funding (raised from the sale of 200 million of the ring-fenced allowances) is under way and the European Commission has stated that it expects to make award decisions in the second half of 2012.
	Timings for the selection process and award decisions relating to the second tranche of funding have not yet been published by the European Commission.

Carbon Sequestration

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the development of carbon capture and storage.

Charles Hendry: The subject of CCS development is regularly raised in conversations that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and I have with our EU counterparts. My officials also have regular conversations with their counterparts and participate in a number of CCS related EU for a including the CCS European Industrial Initiative, the European CCS Demonstration Project Network Advisory Forum and the Zero Emissions Platform Government Group.

Carbon Sequestration

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had held with industry representatives on the development of carbon capture and storage in the UK.

Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with industry representatives on the development of CCS, including through the biannual CCS Development Forum which I chair, our annual CCS senior stakeholder conference, bilateral meetings and attendance at events such as the Carbon Capture and Storage Association's reception last month.
	My ministerial colleagues are of course in regular discussions with the Scottish Power Consortium as part of the negotiations for the UK's first carbon capture and storage demonstration project.
	In addition, my officials are in close contact with industry representatives on all aspects of CCS.

Carbon Sequestration

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for carbon capture and storage projects.

Charles Hendry: There are regular discussions at ministerial level between the Department and HM Treasury on the question of funding for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. This includes discussions on the funding for the first commercial-scale CCS demonstration project, the use of general taxation to fund further demonstration projects and the impact on CCS projects of the proposed electricity market reforms. In addition, my officials hold regular detailed discussions with their counterparts on these issues.

Climate Change: Finance

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the progress made by the UNFCCC's Transitional Committee for the design of the Green Climate Fund; and what progress he expects the Transitional Committee to have made by the Climate Summit in Durban.

Gregory Barker: The UK is a member of the Transitional Committee and has participated actively in its first meeting. The Transitional Committee has established workstreams covering the key areas for decision including guiding principles, governance and operating modalities.
	There is considerable work underway now to develop and assess options under each of the workstreams, managed by a programme of Transitional Committee meetings and technical workshops.
	The timetable for developing its recommendations is challenging. However, I hope the Transitional Committee will be in a position to make its recommendations at the UNFCCC meeting in Durban at the end of this year, as set out in the Cancun agreement.

Climate Change: Finance

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department intends to take to meet its commitments on climate finance after 2014.

Gregory Barker: The 2010 spending review provides a total of £2.9 billion of international climate finance to 2014-15 making the UK one of the few countries to commit climate finance beyond the fast start period (2010-12). Climate finance commitments after 2014-15 will be determined during the next spending review.
	In the longer term, the Government are fully behind the goal to mobilise $100 billion of public and private finance by 2020 to help developing countries tackle climate change. We are working with our international partners through the. UNFCCC, the G20, the International Maritime Organisation and other forums to deliver the long-term sources of climate finance necessary to meet this goal. Through the Capital Markets Climate Initiative we are also working to catalyse private finance flows to developing countries.

Climate Change: Finance

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the Government plans to channel all or part of the monies allocated for international climate finance through the Green Climate Fund.

Gregory Barker: The spending review provides a total of £2.9 billion in international climate finance—the International Climate Fund (ICF)—over the spending review period.
	We will consider the size of a potential UK contribution to the Green Climate Fund following the design of the fund and a full evaluation against ICF objectives.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many requests under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department received from (a) hon. Members from each political party and (b) members of the public in each year since the Act's entry into force.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not collect detailed statistics about the background of individual requesters or the political party affiliations of Members of Parliament. This is because the Freedom of Information Act is applicant and motive blind and therefore it is not necessary to record or determine this information.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change was formed on 3 October 2008 and statistics exist for then onwards as follows:
	From 3 October 2008 to 31 December 2008 inclusive no requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 were received from MPs while 16 requests were received from members of the public.
	During 2009 one request was received from an MP and 109 requests were received from members of the public.
	During 2010 14 requests were received from MPs and 306 requests were received from members of the public.
	From 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011 inclusive three requests were received from MPs and 65 requests were received from members of the public.
	The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the volume, timeliness and outcome of information requests received by over 40 central Government bodies.
	Statistics from 1 April have yet to be published as part of the Ministry of Justice's quarterly statistics. Under the Official Statistics Code of Practice, we cannot release statistics for a time period prior to their appearance in a regular statistical report. Statistics for April 2011 onwards will be collated and published in due course.
	These figures may not represent all Freedom of Information requests from MPs as we may only record those that are clearly stated as being from an MP.
	This information may include data on routine information requests that are not included in the Ministry of Justice's published statistics on freedom of information implementation in central Government, for instance where all the requested information is already published and reasonably accessible to the applicant.

Electricity: Northern Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the Electricity White Paper will include proposals to ensure that power generators in Northern Ireland are not disadvantaged by the introduction of a carbon floor price.

Charles Hendry: Government are actively working with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to assess the potential impacts of the carbon price floor on the single electricity market.

Energy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the next Annual Energy Statement will be published.

Gregory Barker: The next Annual Energy Statement will be published in autumn 2011.

Energy Supply: Defence

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has had discussions with (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Ministry of Defence on potential consequences for energy security of reductions in expenditure on defence; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, have discussed the full range of UK national security issues as members of the National Security Council, including in the context of the strategic defence and security review. DECC and MOD officials have had broad discussions on the possible implications of cuts for energy security, including at the International Energy Security Committee.

Energy: Housing

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the inclusion of voltage optimisation technologies in the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: The Green Deal will cover a broad range of measures, and eligibility for Green Deal finance will ultimately be determined by whether the measures have the potential to pay for themselves through fuel bill savings.
	DECC is currently reviewing evidence relating to the performance of voltage optimisation technologies and will clarify the position in the public consultation in autumn 2011.

Energy: Prices

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many meetings he had with (a) EDF, (b) Scottish Power, (c) Scottish and Southern Energy and (d) E.ON UK Ltd to discuss energy prices in (i) January, (ii) February, (iii) March, (iv) April and (v) May 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers and officials meet with energy suppliers on a regular basis to discuss market issues.
	Consumers deserve the best possible deal, which means rough and tough competition in the marketplace. We are cutting red tape for smaller suppliers to boost competition in retail markets, while Ofgem is tackling other barriers to effective competition (such as tariff complexity and low wholesale market liquidity) in its Retail Market Review. While greater competition should put pressure on prices consumers should also regularly evaluate the best deal on the market.
	Government are also taking a range of actions to increase people's control over their energy bills through energy efficiency, including the Green Deal, and better information.

Energy: Prices

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of recent increases in energy prices by Scottish Power on (a) consumers in Scotland, (b) the incidence of fuel poverty in the UK and (c) the incidence of fuel poverty in London; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Government were disappointed on behalf of consumers about the price rise. We would encourage consumers to regularly check that they are on the best deal and take steps to switch supplier or tariff if they are not. Ofgem's review of retail markets, is proposing, among other things, to simplify tariffs to help consumers find the best deal for them.
	No formal assessments of the effects of recent changes in domestic energy prices on fuel poverty levels have yet been undertaken.
	However, DECC will publish its 2011 projections of fuel poverty for England on 14 July 2011 (as fuel poverty is a devolved statistic, each of the devolved Administrations manage equivalent surveys with the same range of information).
	Data on fuel poverty at a sub-regional level, including estimates for London, in 2008 (the latest year for which this information is available) can be found on the DECC website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/fuelpov_stats/regional/regional.aspx

Energy: Prices

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects on consumers in London of the case of energy mis-selling by Scottish and Southern Energy; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Doorstep selling has proven to be a useful way of bringing the benefits of energy competition to the attention of consumers. It is important, however, to provide consumers with proper safeguards. In 2009, Ofgem brought in new rules that require any information used during the doorstep sales process to be complete, accurate and not misleading. It is for Ofgem to investigate any allegations of the rules being breached and to take any necessary action.

Fuel: Prices

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of recent trends in fuel prices on progress towards the Government's fuel poverty targets.

Gregory Barker: No formal assessments of the effects of recent changes in domestic energy prices on fuel poverty levels have yet been undertaken.
	The recent changes in domestic energy prices on fuel poverty will lead to upward pressure on fuel poverty in 2011. Nevertheless, the true effect will only be known when we have full information on price changes from all suppliers and the 2011 English Housing Survey (EHS). The EHS provides vital information for calculating the level of fuel poverty, including the mix of domestic fuels used by households, the income of those living in the households and the energy efficiency of the housing stock. Each of the devolved Administrations manage equivalent surveys with the same range of information, as fuel poverty is a devolved statistic.
	However, an assessment of the likely impact of all changes for England will be made on 14 July 2011 when DECC will publish 2011 projections of fuel poverty for England.

Fukushima

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 5WS, on Fukushima (Interim Report), if he will make it his policy to update Parliament regularly on progress in nuclear safety initiatives undertaken with international partners at the (a) G8, (b) G20 and (c) the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Charles Hendry: I intend to inform Parliament of significant developments arising in relation to nuclear safety initiatives. This will include any developments that arise as a result of the Government's work with our international partners.

Natural Gas

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the (a) greenhouse gas footprint and (b) level of methane emissions, including leaks during the production process, arising from the production of (i) natural gas from shale formations, (ii) natural gas from conventional sources and (iii) coal, including related extraction processes and combustion; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: I have made no assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions of shale gas related extraction: emissions from shale gas extraction processes will be determined by the design and conditions of a particular development and no development has been proposed for the UK.
	I note that a recent report by the International Energy Authority entitled ‘Are We Entering A Golden Age For Gas’ assessed well-to-burner emissions from unconventional gas, for the particular circumstances they considered and in the ‘non venting’ case, as only slightly higher than from conventional gas, with the combustion of gas being the dominant source of emissions.
	The GHG inventory provides methane leakage emissions. In 2009 fugitive methane emissions from coal mining and handling in the UK was 2860.46 Gg CO2e and for natural gas it was 4293.86 Gg CO2e (of which 65.58 Gg CO2e were attributed to production/processing).
	The DEFRA/DECC greenhouse gas (GHG) conversion factors for company reporting provide GHG emission factors from the combustion of fuels (scope 1) and indirect upstream emissions associated with the extraction and transport of primary fuels as well as the refining, distribution, storage and retail of finished fuels (scope 3). These are derived from GHG inventory and Digest of UK Energy Statistic data. The following shows the emissions factors on energy gross calorific value basis for natural gas and coal. We do not have emission factors split into conventional and unconventional natural gas.
	
		
			  Scope 1 Scope 3 All scopes 
			 Fuel type Total d  irect GHG kg CO2e per unit Total indirect GHG kg CO2e per unit Grand total GHG e.g. CO2e per unit 
			 Coal (industrial) 0.32227 0.05265 0.37492 
			 Coal (electricity generation) 0.32190 0.05265 3.37455 
			 Coal (domestic) 0.34010 0.05265 139275 
			 Natural gas 0.18523 0.01799 3.20322 
			 Source: DEFRA/DECC 2010

Nuclear Power Stations: Sellafield

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on nuclear power provision at Sellafield; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Government have not held any discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on Nuclear Power provision at Sellafield.

Solar Power: Housing

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on planning rules for the installation of solar photovoltaics on domestic properties.

Gregory Barker: DECC Ministers meet regularly with their counterparts from the Department for Communities and Local Government and other Government Departments to discuss a range of issues. It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to reveal details of such meetings.

Solar Power: Housing

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with representatives of installers on planning rules for the installation of solar photovoltaics on domestic properties.

Gregory Barker: Ministers have regular meetings with the Solar PV industry where a wide range of topics are discussed.
	DECC officials have held discussions with the Solar PV industry about planning, as part of the work to complete the Microgeneration Strategy, which was published on the 22 June 2011.
	The Microgeneration Strategy seeks to tackle the non-financial barriers facing the sector. Further information is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/microgen/strategy/strategy.aspx

Superconductors: Research

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding his Department has allocated to research into the development of superconductors in 2011-12.

Gregory Barker: The Department has not allocated funding to research into the development of superconductors in 2011-12. However, the Department works closely with Department of Business, Innovation and Skills who sponsor the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) which is doing research on superconductors.

Wind Power

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the use of overhead pylons to transmit power in Wales.

Charles Hendry: I have not had specific discussions with the Welsh Government on this issue. However at the British-Irish Council summit on 20 June that I attended, the Welsh First Minister, Carwyn Jones, raised the issue of pylons in Wales as part of a wider point on the impact of the UK Government energy policy on Wales.
	The national policy statements published on 23 June set out the need for new electricity infrastructure and provide a framework for planning decision making for power lines at 132 kV and above in England and Wales, and include advice to the decision maker on acceptable levels of mitigation of environmental and visual amenity impacts.

Wind Power: Public Finance

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of constraint payments to wind farm operators in (a) the latest period for which figures are available and (b) each of the next five years.

Charles Hendry: Constraint payments to generators of all types are recovered by National Grid as part of the Balancing Services Use of System charges (BSUoS). BSUoS is paid equally by generators and suppliers, based on their energy taken from, or supplied to, the network. National Grid advises that payments to reduce the output of wind farm operators for the latest period are as follows:
	
		
			 2011 £ 
			 March 0 
			 April 901,258 
			 May 2,622,043 
			 June(1) 681,288 
			 (1 )Data to 22 June 
		
	
	National Grid does not forecast future constraint payments by fuel type. Its forecast (as at 31 March 2011) of total constraint costs across all fuel types covers the next two years:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 202.3 
			 April 2012 to March 2013 161.9

Wind Power: Public Finance

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his estimate is of the cumulative public subsidy that will be given to wind power generation in the period between 2010 and 2020.

Charles Hendry: The Government do not set targets for individual energy generation technologies but we estimate that the contribution of wind energy to the UK 2020 renewable energy target through the RO, feed-in tariff and the climate change levy exemption (estimates in 2010 prices undiscounted) implies a subsidy of over £5 billion in 2020.

Wind Power: Public Finance

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his estimate is of (a) the value of the power generated by and (b) the level of public subsidy to an average wind turbine in the latest period for which figures are available.

Charles Hendry: The day-ahead wholesale electricity price averaged approximately £50/MWh over June 2011, according to the London Energy Brokers Association.
	The level of renewables obligation support available to onshore wind farms is one renewables obligation certificate (ROC) per MWh of electricity generated, and that available to offshore wind farms is two ROCs per MWh. The expected value of a ROC is constant over time at around £43 in 2011-12 prices.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Arms Trade: Exports

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many export licences for goods on the Military List were issued in respect of exports to (a) Bahrain, (b) Saudi Arabia, (c) the United Arab Emirates, (d) Kuwait, (e) Oman and (f) Qatar in each month from January to May 2011.

Mark Prisk: Information on arms exports is published in the annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. military, other) and a summary of the items covered by the licences. They are available to view on the strategic export controls reports and statistics website at:
	https://www.exportcontroldb.berr.gov.uk/eng/fox
	By registering on the website, it is possible to obtain the information broken down by month.
	The reports currently available provide information up to 31 December 2010. Information covering 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011 is due to be published in the first week of July and information covering 1 April 2011 to 30 June 2011 will be published in October 2011.

Bombardier Aerospace

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  on which dates he has had meetings with representatives of Bombardier Aerospace since 12 May 2010;
	(2)  what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department plan to have with Bombardier Aerospace to discuss the future of the company in the UK.

Mark Prisk: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, has had no individual meetings with Bombardier Aerospace since 12 May 2010 although representatives of the company have been present at aerospace events attended by him.
	There are no plans for BIS Ministers to meet the company to discuss its future. My noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment (Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint) visited the company on 1 February 2011, as did the Minister for Universities and Science, my right hon. Friend the Member for Havant (Mr Willetts), on 26 May (as part of a visit to the Northern Ireland Advanced Composite and Engineering Development Centre), and I met Bombardier Aerospace at the recent Paris Airshow on 20 June.

Business: Government Assistance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of applications to the Regional Growth Fund were rejected because of concerns about the compliance of any award with EU state aid rules.

Mark Prisk: In Round 1 no Regional Growth Fund applications were rejected because of concerns about the compliance of any award with EU state aid rules.

Departmental Manpower

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials of each grade in his Department advise him on policy relating to (a) financial services, (b) manufacturing by the (i) automotive, (ii) aviation, (iii) technology, (iv) textile, (v) pharmaceutical, (vi) green technology and (vii) advanced engineering sub-sectors, (c) retail by the (i) food and (ii) clothing sub-sectors, (d) hotels and restaurants, (e) transport and communication by the (i) transport, (ii) telecoms, (iii) publishing and (iv) radio and television sub-sectors and (f) digital and creative industries by the (i) digital, (ii) design, (iii) fashion, (iv) music and (v) film sub-sectors.

Mark Prisk: Much of the Department's resource is focused on creating the right economic conditions for growth across all sectors of the economy. More specifically, the Department has the following people resource focused on individual sectors:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Aerospace, Marine, Defence, Manufacturing Advisory Service 19 
			 Automotive, Advanced Manufacturing Showcasing 21 
			 Electronics, Materials, Chemicals 33 
			 Green Economy and Green Investment Bank 38 
			 Information Economy 27 
			 Life Sciences 15 
			 Retail, Services, Construction 15

Green Investment Bank

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the selection process for the location of the Green Investment Bank will be by open invitation.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 29 June 2011
	The location for the Green Investment Bank (GIB) will be chosen to enable it best to deliver its mission. The criteria will be: (1) ability to deliver the GIB mission (2) operational costs, and (3) access to required talent. Fuller details of these criteria are set out in section 2.8 of the "Update on the design of the Green Investment Bank" which was published on 23 May. This decision will be taken in due course. While my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills will be taking the decision according to these criteria, in the meantime, cities are welcome to make their case.

Higher Education: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many children educated in maintained schools in each local authority area were accepted for entry by (a) Cambridge and (b) Oxford University in the last year for which figures are available.

David Willetts: The information in the table shows the number of 15-year-olds in English maintained schools in 2003/04 who progressed to Cambridge or Oxford University by age 19 in 2007/08. The local authority is defined by the school where the pupil studied at age 15. Pupils may move to a different local authority area to undertake post-16 studies.
	Figures have been estimated using matched data from the National Pupil Database and the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record. These rounded estimates allow for a small margin of error that arises as result of the matching procedure deployed. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available from August 2011.
	The figures in the table show the number of students who entered a higher education course at either Cambridge or Oxford, rather than the numbers who were accepted for entry via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
	
		
			 Number of 15-year-olds in English maintained schools in 2003/04 who progressed to Cambridge or Oxford University by age 19 in 2007/08 
			 Local authority Cambridge Oxford 
			 Camden — 5 
			 Greenwich — — 
			 Hackney — — 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5 10 
			 Islington 0 — 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 — 
			 Lambeth — 0 
			 Lewisham 5 5 
			 Southwark — — 
			 Tower Hamlets — 0 
			 Wandsworth 10 — 
			 Westminster — — 
			 Barking and Dagenham — 0 
			 Barnet 40 15 
			 Bexley 10 — 
			 Brent 5 5 
			 Bromley 20 20 
			 Croydon 5 — 
			 Ealing — 5 
			 Enfield 20 15 
			 Haringey 5 — 
			 Harrow 5 10 
			 Havering 15 — 
			 Hillingdon — 5 
			 Hounslow 5 5 
			 Kingston upon Thames 20 10 
			 Merton — — 
			 Newham — — 
			 Redbridge 15 10 
			 Richmond upon Thames 5 — 
		
	
	
		
			 Sutton 20 30 
			 Waltham Forest — 5 
			 Birmingham 25 25 
			 Coventry — — 
			 Dudley 0 10 
			 Sandwell — 0 
			 Solihull 5 — 
			 Walsall 10 5 
			 Wolverhampton 5 10 
			 Knowsley 0 — 
			 Liverpool 5 10 
			 St Helens 5 — 
			 Sefton 5 — 
			 Wirral 10 5 
			 Bolton — — 
			 Bury — — 
			 Manchester — — 
			 Oldham 5 5 
			 Rochdale — — 
			 Salford — 0 
			 Stockport 5 5 
			 Tameside — — 
			 Trafford 15 15 
			 Wigan — — 
			 Barnsley — — 
			 Doncaster — — 
			 Rotherham — 5 
			 Sheffield 15 10 
			 Bradford — — 
			 Calderdale 5 — 
			 Kirklees 10 10 
			 Leeds 20 15 
			 Wakefield — 5 
			 Gateshead — 5 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne — 5 
			 North Tyneside 5 — 
			 South Tyneside 5 — 
			 Sunderland — — 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 10 5 
			 Bristol — 10 
			 North Somerset — 5 
			 South Gloucestershire — 5 
			 Hartlepool 0 0 
			 Middlesbrough — — 
			 Redcar and Cleveland — 0 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 5 — 
			 Kingston upon Hull 0 0 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 5 5 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0 — 
			 North Lincolnshire 0 — 
			 North Yorkshire 40 25 
			 York 5 5 
			 Bedfordshire 5 5 
			 Luton 5 5 
			 Buckinghamshire 45 75 
		
	
	
		
			 Milton Keynes — — 
			 Derbyshire 15 15 
			 Derby — — 
			 Dorset 5 5 
			 Poole 5 5 
			 Bournemouth — 5 
			 Durham 10 15 
			 Darlington — 0 
			 East Sussex 10 5 
			 Brighton and Hove 5 — 
			 Hampshire 30 45 
			 Portsmouth — — 
			 Southampton — 5 
			 Leicestershire 10 5 
			 Leicester — — 
			 Rutland — 0 
			 Staffordshire 20 10 
			 Stoke-on-Trent — — 
			 Wiltshire 15 20 
			 Swindon 5 — 
			 Bracknell Forest — — 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 5 10 
			 West Berkshire 10 5 
			 Reading 10 15 
			 Slough — 5 
			 Wokingham 5 5 
			 Cambridgeshire 25 30 
			 Peterborough 5 — 
			 Cheshire 20 20 
			 Halton — 0 
			 Warrington — — 
			 Devon 15 20 
			 Plymouth 10 5 
			 Torbay — 15 
			 Essex 70 25 
			 Southend on Sea 15 — 
			 Thurrock 0 — 
			 Herefordshire 5 10 
			 Worcestershire 10 15 
			 Kent 55 45 
			 Medway — — 
			 Lancashire 30 40 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0 0 
			 Blackpool 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 15 20 
			 Nottingham — — 
			 Shropshire — 5 
			 Telford and Wrekin 5 15 
			 Cornwall 10 10 
			 Cumbria 15 15 
			 Gloucestershire 25 40 
			 Hertfordshire 45 35 
			 Isle of Wight — — 
			 Lincolnshire 25 15 
			 Norfolk 20 5 
			 Northamptonshire 15 10 
			 Northumberland 5 — 
			 Oxfordshire 15 25 
			 Somerset 10 10 
		
	
	
		
			 Suffolk 15 10 
			 Surrey 30 20 
			 Warwickshire 15 20 
			 West Sussex 15 10 
			 Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. Figures less than five are shown as ‘—’ and zero counts are shown as 0. Source: Matched National Pupil Database and HESA Student Record (NPD-HESA)

Manufacturing Industries

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the contribution to the UK economy of manufacturing in each (a) region and (b) sector.

Mark Prisk: The information is as follows:
	(a) The contribution of manufacturing to the UK economy broken down by country and region as at 2008 is set out in table 1.
	
		
			 Table 1: Economic contribution of manufacturing by region, 2008 
			 Region Percentage of GVA in manufacturing 
			 England 11.5 
			 Of which:  
			 North East 16.4 
			 North West 16.0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 16.0 
			 East Midlands 16.8 
			 West Midlands 14.9 
			 East of England 11.2 
			 London 5.5 
			 South East 9.3 
			 South West 12.3 
			   
			 Wales 17.0 
			   
			 Scotland 13.1 
			   
			 Northern Ireland 14.4 
			 Total UK 11.6 
		
	
	(b) Manufacturing accounted for £150 billion or 11.6% of total UK gross value added in 2008. The economic contribution of individual manufacturing subsectors is set out in table 2.
	
		
			 Table 2: Economic contribution of manufacturing subsectors, 2008 
			 Manufacturing subsectors Percentage of total UK GVA 
			 Food, beverages and tobacco 1.6 
			 Textiles and textile products 0.3 
			 Leather products and footwear 0.1 
			 Products of wood and cork 0.2 
			 Pulp, paper, printing and publishing 1.5 
			 Coke, refined petroleum and nuclear fuel 0.3 
			 Chemicals and chemical products 1.5 
			 Rubber and plastics products 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			 Other non-metallic mineral products 0.4 
			 Basic metals and metal products 1.2 
			 Machinery and equipment, n.e.c. 1.0 
			 Electrical and optical equipment 1.3 
			 Transport equipment 1.2 
			 Manufacturing n.e.c. and recycling 0.5 
			 Total manufacturing 11.6

Munitions Workers: Medals

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will introduce a medal for award to former munitions workers.

Mark Prisk: Following my discussions with a number of hon. Members about options for formally recognising those who worked in munitions factories during the world wars, an inaugural meeting of an All Party Parliamentary Group on Recognition for Munitions Workers has been convened by the hon. Member for Ogmore (Huw Irranca-Davies) on Tuesday 12 July 2011 at 1pm in Committee Room 18 to appoint officers. I have offered to attend the first substantive meeting—expected to take place in September.

New Businesses: Government Assistance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to (a) encourage entrepreneurial activity and (b) increase the proportion of people starting businesses.

Mark Prisk: In January 2011, the Department published “Bigger, Better Business: Helping small firms start, grow and prosper”, setting out what we are doing to ensure start-ups and small and medium sized enterprises can access the information, networks and advice they need
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/enterprise/docs/b/11-515-bigger-better-business-helping-small-firms
	Government will support:
	online business information and tools tailored to each business' needs;
	a national contact centre to help businesses who cannot find the information they need on the web or who are not connected to the internet;
	help for start-ups, including the New Enterprise Allowance;
	a network of experienced business mentors offering practical advice;
	Business Coaching for Growth, backing high growth SMEs to enable them to realise their potential; and
	tailored action to raise low entrepreneurial activity among key parts of our communities, including women, black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and service leavers.
	On 28 March Government announced three new initiatives for embedding enterprise into education to effect a lasting transformation of enterprise ambition in the UK
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/topstories/2011/Mar/start-up-britain
	Government will support:
	every school to engage children in enterprise, by developing an online resource for teachers on how to build and manage a business and by providing ready access to local enterprise champions/mentors;
	expansion of the “Tenner Tycoon” initiative, to enable even more children to experience how enterprise can grow their money and benefit their community; and
	development of student enterprise societies in every university and the majority of further education colleges to engage and support students to start their own business.

Office of the Independent Adjudicator: Manpower

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff worked for the Office of the Independent Adjudicator in each year since 2005; how many are expected to work in that Office in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Act 2004 required the appointment of an independent body to run a student complaints scheme in England and Wales. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) is designated to operate an independent student complaints scheme on this basis.
	The OIA is a company limited by guarantee, not a non-departmental public body or similar. Staffing is therefore entirely a matter for the OIA.
	The OIA can be contacted at: OIA, Third Floor, Kings Reach, 38-50 Kings Road, Reading, RG1 3AA.

Sudan Overseas Investment

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to encourage British investment in Sudan and South Sudan.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), which reports jointly to BIS and FCO Ministers, is focused on helping UK companies do business internationally and helping overseas companies invest in the UK. It does not actively promote outward investment from the UK. Where UK companies with existing plans for overseas investment, or those who have already invested overseas, seek UKTI support it will assist as necessary with lobbying or other advice as appropriate. The UKTI team in the British embassy in Khartoum led by the British ambassador will continue to offer this service. After 9 July when South Sudan is established, the British ambassador in Juba will also assist investors where possible and appropriate.

Public Services Provision

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the terms of reference are for his Department's review of business models of companies that provide public services; and whether he plans to publish the conclusions of the review.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 17 July 2011
	Following initial consideration by officials in the Department, I have written to Cabinet Office Ministers to ensure that the Open Public Services White Paper sets out plans for Departments to develop regimes to detect and cope with potential failure in key public service provision, and that these plans include appropriate consideration of financial risks.

Regional Development Agencies

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the total cost to the public purse is of the abolition of each (a) regional development agency and (b) regional Government Office.

Mark Prisk: The Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) are expected to close by 31 March 2012. It is not possible at this point to establish the cost of closing each Agency. The spending review settlement for RDAs provides up to £464 million over the four year period to March 2015, covering variously salaries, redundancies, transition/closure costs, pension liabilities and residual activity.
	With respect to Government Offices I refer to the answer given on 3 March 2011, Official Report, column 559W, by the Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark), to the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr Denham).

Regional Development Agencies: Assets

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2011, Official Report, column 776W, on regional development agency: assets, whether any bids to the first round of the Regional Growth Fund referred to the use of regional development agency assets in their application.

Mark Prisk: Some bids to the first round of the Regional Growth Fund referred to the use of regional development agency assets in their application. The use of the assets was taken into account during the appraisal of the costs and benefits of these bids.

Universities: Business

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage businesses to sponsor undergraduate and postgraduate places at university.

David Willetts: We want our universities to work with business across all their activities including to promote sponsorship of students. 80% of universities say they are engaged with employers but this can improve. We will create more flexibility in our control of overall student numbers so that there are more opportunities to attract extra higher education places fully funded by employers or charities providing there is fair access and no reduction in academic entry standards.
	We also announced in our White Paper “Students at the Heart of the System” (cm 8122) that we had invited Professor Sir Tim Wilson to review how we make the UK the best place in the world for university-industry collaboration.

Water: Imports

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the net level was of imports of water into the UK in each year since 1989.

Mark Prisk: HM Revenue and Customs recorded the following UK trade for "waters (including natural and artificial mineral and aerated waters), ice and snow, not containing sugar, sweetening matter or flavoured"—Standard International Trade Classification 11101.
	
		
			  Imports  (£ million) Exports  (£ million) Imports (Thousand tonnes) Exports   (T  housand tonnes) 
			 1989 40.8 2.0 234 5 
			 1990 40.2 4.6 210 12 
			 1991 32.5 4.6 173 10 
			 1992 36.4 5.8 182 14 
			 1993 47.5 5.7 176 14 
			 1994 48.9 6.6 202 18 
			 1995 58.6 7.4 257 21 
			 1996 48.9 7.9 209 21 
			 1997 54.9 7.2 246 22 
			 1998 65.8 6.6 376 22 
			 1999 77.0 6.5 369 17 
			 2000 83.1 6.2 384 19 
			 2001 107.1 8.5 504 26 
			 2002 90.9 11.6 475 33 
			 2003 114.4 14.0 679 49 
			 2004 92.1 13.6 574 52 
			 2005 110.4 20.6 650 89 
			 2006 115.3 24.7 820 94 
			 2007 94.3 22.3 514 85 
			 2008 89.7 21.9 506 83 
			 2009 106.0 27.1 593 79 
			 2010 106.0 27.8 602 83

TREASURY

Bank Services: Sudan

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to assist Sudanese businessmen to set up bank accounts in the UK.

Mark Hoban: There are no specific legal or regulatory barriers to Sudanese businessmen obtaining a UK bank account. Decisions on the products and services offered by financial institutions are a commercial matter for the institution.

Banks: Finance

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the administrative costs of a scheme to offer free shares to the public in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB.

Mark Hoban: UK Financial Investments (UKFI) manages the Government's shareholding in Lloyds Banking Group and the Royal Bank of Scotland at an arm's length and commercial basis. UKFI's objective is to dispose of the investments in an orderly and active manner, within the context of an overarching objective of protecting and creating value for the taxpayer.
	The Treasury and UKFI are continuing to assess all potential options to realise value for taxpayers through the disposal of these shares, and will explore the distribution of shares to the public alongside ongoing preparations for other disposal options.

Capita

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) individual monetary value and (b) net worth was of those contracts.

Justine Greening: Since May 2010 HM Treasury awarded one contract to Capita Group Ltd that expired in June. The contract was for executive search services.
	The monetary value of the contract is dependent on the level of usage. Spend to date is £26,785 (excluding VAT).

Commodity Markets

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2011, Official Report, column 323W, on commodity markets, if he will place in the Library a copy of each relevant item of analysis from economic organisations referred to in the answer.

Justine Greening: Relevant analysis is freely available on the internet and can be accessed on the following websites:
	International Energy Agency (IEA):
	Medium-term oil and gas markets 2010:
	http://omrpublic.iea.org/omrarchive/mtogm2010_ part1.pdf?bcsi_scan_F8D0BFE83951C3DA=0&bsci _scan_filename=mtogm2010_part1.pdf
	Monthly Oil market reports:
	http://omrpublic.iea.org/
	World Energy Outlook 2010:
	http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/docs/weo2010/WEO2010_es_english.pdf
	International Monetary Fund (IMF)
	World Economic Outlook 2011:
	http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/pdf/text.pdf
	Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
	Demand growth in developing countries:
	http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/agriculture-and-food/demand-growth-in-developing-countries_5km91p2xcsd4-en
	World Bank
	Placing the 2006-08 commodity price boom into perspective:
	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2010/07/21/000158349_ 20100721110120/Rendered/PDF/WPS5371.pdf

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has any plans to generate low-carbon energy from its estate.

Justine Greening: The Treasury has no current plans to generate low-carbon energy but like all Government Departments has committed to reduce its carbons footprint by 10%.

Departmental Manpower

Damian Collins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of each grade in his Department advise him on policy relating to (a) financial services, (b) manufacturing by the (i) automotive, (ii) aviation, (iii) technology, (iv) textile, (v) pharmaceutical, (vi) green technology and (vii) advanced engineering sub-sectors, (c) retail by the (i) food and (ii) clothing sub-sectors, (d) hotels and restaurants, (e) transport and communication by the (i) transport, (ii) telecoms, (iii) publishing and (iv) radio and television sub-sectors and (f) digital and creative industries by the (i) digital, (ii) design, (iii) fashion, (iv) music and (v) film sub-sectors.

Justine Greening: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. An organogram for the Treasury Group can be accessed via the data.gov.uk website at:
	http://data.gov.uk/organogram/hm-treasury
	This sets out departmental staff by team and grade and by area of work.

Departmental Procurement

John Denham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provisions in respect of behavioural standards have been included in procurement contracts issued by his Department since May 2010.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury expects all suppliers to maintain high standards of integrity and professionalism in their business dealings. The Department’s standard contractual terms reflect this requirement. There are no specific terms relating to behavioural standards, but standard contract conditions for goods and services provide for the contractor to comply with standards applying to:
	the prevention of corruption and fraud;
	discrimination;
	health and safety;
	protection of data;
	confidentiality; and
	security and environmental requirements.
	The conditions for services also provide for compliance with standards relating to the:
	avoidance of conflicts of interest; and
	vetting of contractors’ personnel.
	HM Treasury’s contracts may be modified to take account of the type of goods or services being supplied and the risks to the Department.
	Since January 2011, the Treasury has published its contracts (including terms and conditions) above £10,000 (in value) on the Treasury website.

Bio diesel

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the 20p duty differential for the sustainable biodiesel sector.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 459W, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Fiona Bruce).
	The consultation on the implementation of the transport elements of the renewable energy directive (RED) closed on 2 June 2011. The Department for Transport will publish a summary of responses shortly.

Economic Growth: EU Countries

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made for benchmarking purposes of projected economic growth levels in the (a) Eurozone and (b) EU over the next five years.

Mark Hoban: The Government continue to monitor all relevant factors from a range of sources as part of their surveillance of the UK economy. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will provide an updated assessment of prospects for the UK economy in the autumn.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Bob Blackman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Leeds North East of 24 January 2011, Official Report, column 115W, on Equitable Life Assurance Society: compensation, whether his Department or actuaries commissioned by his Department made any estimate of the cost of compensating Equitable Life policyholders who purchased with-profits annuities prior to 1 September 1992 on the same basis as the calculations made for those who purchased such annuities after 1 September 1992.

Mark Hoban: The parliamentary ombudsman recommended that the aim of the payment scheme should be
	“to put those people who suffered a relative loss back into the position that they would have been in had maladministration not occurred”.
	The Government have accepted that those who invested in Equitable Life from September 1992 may have suffered relative loss as a result of maladministration. That is on the basis that September 1992 was the earliest date by which the regulatory returns they may have used to inform their decision to invest would have been different if maladministration had not occurred, and therefore that they might have decided to invest their funds in another company.
	This was not the case for with profit annuitants who invested prior to September 1992, and therefore no loss calculations have been done for these with profit annuitants on a similar basis.

EU Law

Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what European directives in force on 1 April 2010 his Department is responsible; and what European directives for which his Department is responsible have come into force since 1 April 2010.

Justine Greening: Existing EU legislation is set out in the Eur-Lex database available at:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm
	A review of the entire stock would incur disproportionate cost.
	There are a number of directives which have come into force (in whole or in part) since 1 April 2010 for which HM Treasury has responsibility:
	Directive 2009/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 amending directive 98/26/EC on settlement finality in payment and securities settlement systems and directive 2002/47/EC on financial collateral arrangements as regards linked systems and credit claims;
	Directive 2009/110/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 on the taking up, pursuit and prudential supervision of the business of electronic money institutions amending directives 2005/60/EC and 2006/48/EC and repealing directive 2000/46/EC;
	Directive 2009/111/EC of 16 September 2009 amending directives 2006/48/EC, 2006/49/EC and 2007/64/EC as regards banks affiliated to central institutions, certain own funds items, large exposures, supervisory arrangements, and crisis management; and
	Directive 2010/76/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 amending directives 2006/48/EC and 2006/49/EC as regards capital requirements for the trading book and for re-securitisations, and the supervisory review of remuneration policies.
	The following directives will also be brought into force (in whole or in part) on 1 July 2011:
	Directive 2009/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on the co-ordination of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities;
	Commission directive 2010/43/EU of 1 July 2010 implementing directive 2009/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards organisational requirements, conflicts of interest, conduct of business, risk management and content of the agreement between a depositary and a management company; and
	Commission directive 2010/44/EU of 1 July 2010 implementing directive 2009/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards certain provisions concerning fund mergers, master-feeder structures and notification procedure.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to tackle alcohol fraud since the allocation of funding for that purpose in the comprehensive spending review.

Justine Greening: Spending Review 2010 announced that HMRC would reinvest £900 million to address the tax gap and tackle tax avoidance and evasion, bringing in additional revenues of £7 billion a year by 2014-15. This includes strengthening HMRC's enforcement operations within their "Tackling Alcohol Fraud" strategy.

Excise Duties: Wines

Mel Stride: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to adjust rates of duty on wine production.

Justine Greening: Budget 2010 stated that
	“the Government will continue with the plans it inherited to increase the alcohol duty rates by 2 per cent above inflation each year to 2014-15”.
	This includes duty on wine.

Foster Care: Finance

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had on financial support for children in kinship care;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of financial support for children in kinship care;
	(3)  if he will consider the merits of introducing a single UK-wide financial payment for children in kinship care.

Justine Greening: holding answer 30 June 2011
	Where carers have the primary responsibility for bringing up a child, there is UK-wide financial provision through child benefit and child tax credit, which can be paid on the same terms as to a parent. Child benefit and child tax credit guarantee support for the first child of over £4,000 a year for carers on very low incomes. Guardian's allowance can also be paid where both parents are deceased or, in prescribed circumstances, where only one parent is deceased. In order to prevent double provision, this support is not provided where the accommodation or maintenance of a looked-after child is provided from public funds.
	Support for children through the care system is a devolved matter. Statutory guidance that came into force on 1 April 2011 requires English local authorities to have clear and transparent published policies about how they support family and friends carers of children in need in different legal circumstances.
	The Government's welfare reforms will build a simpler, fairer system that protects the most vulnerable and makes work pay. The Department for Work and Pensions is keen to ensure that the varied needs of kinship carers are reflected in policy design and implementation, and to this end they are engaging with kinship carers to understand their priorities.

Foster Care: Finance

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) decision-making on provision and (b) delivery of financial support for children in kinship care.

Justine Greening: Support for children through the care system is a devolved matter. In England, family and friends carers of looked after children must be approved as foster carers and receive support as other foster carers do. Responsibility for maintaining a looked after child lies with the child's local authority and therefore the cost to the foster carer of caring for the child is paid to them in the form of a fostering allowance. The Government set a national minimum fostering allowance. The fostering allowance should be calculated according to criteria that do not discriminate against foster carers that are related to the child.
	Family and friends carers of children who are not looked after by the English local authority may be eligible for child-related benefits, such as child benefit and the child tax credit. In order to prevent double provision, this support is not provided where the accommodation or maintenance of a looked after child is provided from public funds.
	The Children Act 1989 also allows local authorities in England to provide support, including financial support, to family and friends carers of children who are not looked after, if the child is assessed as being in need. Local authorities may also provide financial support to family and friends carers who hold a residence or special guardianship order or who become adopters. Statutory guidance that came into force on 1 April 2011 requires English local authorities to have clear and transparent published policies about how they support family and friends carers of children in need in different legal circumstances.

Foster Care: Guardian’s Allowance

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received any representations on extending the availability of guardian's allowance to cover children in kinship care.

Justine Greening: holding answer 30 June 2011
	The Government receive a range of representations on a wide range of topics, including guardian's allowance.

Money: Counterfeit Manufacturing

Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of counterfeit £1 coins in circulation.

Justine Greening: The Royal Mint and the Treasury are working with banks, the Post Office, cash handling and sorting businesses, the police and the vending industry to remove counterfeit £1 coins from circulation before they reach the pockets of members of the public. Coin handling businesses, such as banks and the Post Office, handle over 3 billion £1 coins every year. They use high-speed, automated systems to process customer deposits and prepare coin for reissue. These automated systems are capable of detecting and withdrawing a significant number of counterfeit coins. All counterfeit coins detected from coin processing are sent to the Royal Mint for disposal. The Royal Mint is also working with other validator and coin sorting manufacturers to help improve the counterfeit detection rate.
	The Royal Mint holds regular briefings to educate the public and the coin handling industry on how to identify counterfeits, and has issued educational leaflets and posters.

Mortgage Express: Complaints

George Eustice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints his Department has received about Mortgage Express since 29 September 2008.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials received representations from a wide variety of individuals and organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such representations.

Public Sector: Pensions

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of those who were employed full-time in the public sector receive an annual occupational pension in respect of their public sector employment of (a) £4,000 or less, (b) £4,000 to £6,000 and (c) £6,000 to £8,000.

Danny Alexander: HM Treasury does not hold data on the pension benefits payable to those who were employed full-time in the public sector. This information may be available from departments that lead on individual public service pension schemes.
	Table 1.C of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission's interim report, published on 7 October 2010 provides a breakdown of the median pensions in payment for the largest public service pension schemes, along with the proportion of pensioner members who receive benefits of less than £1,000. The table can be found on the HM Treasury website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/hutton_pensions interim_071010.pdf

Revenue and Customs: Debts

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 703W, on Revenue and Customs: debt collection, whether he plans to transfer HM Revenue and Customs' powers of distraint to its appointed debt collection agencies; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HMRC does not currently refer cases to debt collection agencies for distraint action. This work is undertaken directly by HMRC.
	There are no current plans to change this approach but, as with many aspects of its work, this is something that HMRC is keeping under active review.

Road Fuel Testing Unit

Mel Stride: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of the Road Fuel Testing Unit in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11.

Justine Greening: The total cost of the Road Fuel Testing Unit was £8.1 million in 2009-10, and £11.5 million in 2010-11.

Road Fuel Testing Unit

Mel Stride: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of fines given by the Road Fuel Testing Unit for the misuse of red diesel in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11.

Justine Greening: The total revenues collected as a result of the imposition of civil penalties and restoration fees combined were £1 million in 2009-10, and £1 million in 2010-11.

Taxation

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will (a) prepare and (b) publish an assessment of the impact of the Government's tax and benefit policies on (i) women and (ii) men, using all available data.

David Gauke: HM Treasury, HMRC and DWP consider the equality impact of individual tax and welfare policy changes as they are developed and implemented, making use of the best evidence available to them.
	The Government have taken significant steps to improve tax policy making since coming into office. This has included a new approach to impact analysis for tax measures. The Government now publish a Tax Information and Impact Note for individual tax policy changes. These explicitly include an assessment of the equalities impact of individual measures.
	It is very difficult to produce robust gender analysis of the overall tax and benefit system. Breaking down the impact of overall tax and welfare changes by gender requires making assumptions about how income is shared within the household. The uncertainties involved are such that results based on such assumptions are not proper and valid policy making tools.

VAT: Sports

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with sports governing bodies on the treatment for VAT purposes by HM Revenue and Customs of sports league block bookings.

David Gauke: holding answer 30 June 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 512W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol North West (Charlotte Leslie).

Working Tax Credit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many households where one adult is a carer he estimates will be affected by the change in the working hours qualification for couples with children who claim working tax credit in April 2012;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of children affected by the increase in the working hours qualification for couples with children to claim working tax credit in April 2012;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of households in each constituency to be affected by the change in working hours qualification for couples with children to claim working tax credit in April 2012.

David Gauke: The measures referred to in these questions are part of a range of reforms to the tax credits system announced at the spending review.
	Estimating the number of households impacted by an individual measure does not give a clear indication of the full monetary impact on an individual household.
	The Government published estimates of the distributional impact of the packages of announced tax and benefit measures which can be found at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_annexa.pdf
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_annexb.pdf

Working Tax Credit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely effect on the number of children living in poverty of the change in working hours qualification for couples with children to claim working tax credit in April 2012.

David Gauke: It is the impact of the tax and benefit system as a whole that is important for child poverty.
	The Government increased the child element of the child tax credit by £180 above indexation in April 2011 and will increase it by £110 above indexation in April 2012. As a result, modelled tax and benefit reforms announced since Budget 2010 may have a small reduction in child poverty in 2011-12 and 2012-13.